Nothing Else Really Matters Anymore
by AnyfriendofMike's
Summary: Ever since his memory shattering brain surgery, Mike can't remember anything about the island, including Zoey. Can she help him find his way again, or will he always be the zombie he's suddenly become?
1. Chapter 1

**As you might've noticed, my writing has sort of fallen over the last few months. What can I say; I'm a lazy motherfu- anyways! In all seriousness, I'm actually going to work hard on this story.**

**Now, to set the setting, this story takes place 2 years after Total Drama Revenge of the Island. *random fan girl walks in* "Oh yeah, that's the season where Mike and Zoey got together right?"**

**Well not in my story. This takes place in a dimension where Zoey rejects Mike for his MPD. This eventually drives him to be part of Group X, an organization for test subjects. Mike agrees to get a special brain surgery which will eventually erase his memory, and that's where this story begins.**

Zoey's POV-

For a lot of reasons, I regret going on the show. For one thing, I was so close to winning, but was voted off by a *shudder* jock… Seriously, I've already stated that getting voted off by a jock would be my worst nightmare. And second, I broke a boy's heart…

Now that I look back on it, I kind of wish I hadn't said what I did. Even when I returned home, he was on my mind. I've had a lot of time to think about it, and I wish I had taken a look at Mike's perspective. If I were him, I would hate the person who broke my heart. And I know it sounds terrible, but I want him back.

At least I'll be able to get a fresh start tomorrow. I just moved to Toronto and my first day at the new school was going to start in a number of hours. It just sucked that I had to move in the middle of the year. I guess I had to get ready to be "that new girl."

Mike's POV-

_Beep beep beep._ Ugh, that stupid alarm clock… Why can't school be at 12:00?

I sit up and stretch. Looks like another day is ready to torment me. As I stand up, I notice the little silver picture frame on my desk. My eyes fill with tears, because it's just a picture of something I'll never remember!

Confused? You should be. About… 7 months ago, my Doctor, Dr. Waters, recommended a miracle surgery for me. He said something about it curing my MPD. Well it did cure my MPD… and then some… No matter how hard I try, I can't remember anything from when I was 16! It's like that year never even happened…

I pick up the frame and study it. I love this picture for some reason. I recognize myself with some girl clinging to my back. I have no idea who she is, or why she's holding on to my 16 year old self, but it just gives me a sense of power. Like if I try hard enough, I can be my old self again. The self that I was before my MPD.

I look at my clock again and rush to tug my clothes on. The bus was going to be here at any second, so I needed to _move_. I pulled on my blue hoodie over my white t-shirt and pushed the sleeves up to my elbows. As I examined myself in the mirror, I noticed that my necklace was casting a glare at me.

The necklace wasn't that special, as far as I knew. It looked like one of those BFF necklaces where one person wears one half and the other person wears the other half. The thing is, I wasn't sure who had the other half. By studying the necklace in my room years before, I concluded that my face was etched on to the medallion.

I picked up my bag from the corner of my room. When my foot hit the bottom step of the stairs, the scent of bacon and eggs attacked my nose. I nodded as I found that the twins, Matthew and Mallory, were already at the table eating their breakfast.

Matthew and his twin were both 13 years old. I loved the two, mainly because they helped me regain some of my memories when I lost them. Matthew is kind of a goofball, whereas Mallory is probably the coolest 13 year old in the world. The only time she isn't chill is when Matt is acting crazy. I sort of respect Matt for the fact that he's the only one who can get under her skin.

"Morning!" I greeted the twins as I grabbed a plate from the cabinet. Matt mumbled something in reply. He wasn't a morning person…

"Hey Mikey," Mallory said. Yeah, she's the only one who can call me that.

I dished some food on my plate and started wolfing down whatever I could. As I washed it down with a glass of orange juice, I heard the bus coming. I shot Matthew a devious grin and saluted him as I picked up my bag. Dashing out of the house, I hear a chorus of, "Have a good day," ringing from the house.

The yellow monster stopped in front of me to let me come aboard. I relaxed a little as I saw that the front seat wasn't taken. It was when the driver pulled into the school parking lot that trouble started. I heard someone yell something from behind me. Before I could even turn around, a milk carton flew onto my head, spilling milk in my hair.

Let me tell you, it takes a while to style my hair. So if a milk carton just happens to spew its contents all up in my hair, I'm pretty much screwed for the whole day.

Zoey's POV-

I was nervous as hell as I entered my new homeroom. A couple people were already there, like a girl with blond hair and a cute guy who was trying to make his hair stand up. It looked like someone had spilled milk on his head…

More people flooded into the room as I tried to find my new teacher. When I finally managed to track her down, the room was full. She smiled at me as she read my transcript and crap. After clearing her throat, she managed to get the room silent. A few people craned their necks to get a good look at me. I felt like a street walker…

"This is Zoey," the teacher announced to the room. "She's new here, so I want everyone to treat her like a friend, got it? Okay Zoey, you can take a seat next to that boy back there, Mike. Mike, raise your hand for Zoey."

I cringed. She used the name Mike two times already. The boy whose hair had milk in it held up his hand, to which I sat down next to him. Since Homeroom hadn't started yet, I decided to befriend this Mike.

Mike's POV-

She looked like the girl from the picture, I swear she did. She had the red hair, the beautiful eyes, and the cute nose. It had to be her, it just had to be. I stared at her for a moment, wondering how I should approach the situation.

I was a little startled when she smiled at me. "Hi, I'm Zoey," she said in a sweet voice. I gulped a little.

"I-I'm Mike…" I said. I was surprised at how shaky my voice sounded. "So…are you excited to um…learn here…?" I asked. Excited to learn here? Idiot….

"Well, I'm not such a fan of school," Zoey admitted. I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I'm not a fan either. I used to get bullied a lot in school. Up until 7 months ago, I had MPD," I confessed. Zoey's jaw dropped.

"You….you had MPD?" she asked. I cocked my head at her.

"Uh…yeah…so?"

She literally started shaking. "You wouldn't happen to be the same Mike from Total Drama Revenge of the Island would you?"

I think I fainted sometime after that….

**I know, it's a weak start, but I promise it will get better. Oh and don't worry, I'm still gonna finish Total Drama: Back for More.**


	2. Chapter 2: I'm So Freaking Confused!

Zoey's POV

7. That's how many beer bottles were on the floor when I got home from school. Even before I entered the house, I could smell the alcohol. Even before I entered the kitchen, I knew he was passed out at the table.

I tried to creep past him without making any noise, but his awakening was inevitable from the start.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked behind me. I cringed as the voice met me.

"Uh… hi daddy… I'm just going upstairs…" I said nervously. _Wham!_ I fell to the ground as his fist connected with the side of my face. I looked up at him with disgust, massaging my cheek.

"Get out of this house…" dad said, his alcohol breath swirling around the room. I glared at him and retreated out. I hated him with every fiber in my body. Every time he was drunk or hung over, he would kick me out. I suppose I was lucky that he wasn't able to beat me nearly as much when I wasn't in the house, but I never had anywhere to go when he told me to leave.

I decided to walk around the neighborhood for a bit before attempting to go back home. The day had been crazy and this was the perfect time to review the events of the day.

I wasn't sure if I was too delighted that Mike lived in this area. What's more terrible was that he didn't even seem to remember me! I'm not sure if it was a character I spoke to or what, but he seemed really confused.

"Zoey?" a voice asked behind me. Mike was standing there with two 13 year olds. One was a boy and one was a girl.

"Mike…" I breathed.

"Awkward!" the boy declared. His twin sister slapped the back of his head with disgust.

"How's it going?" Mike asked. I shrugged.

"I was kicked out of the house for the evening so I'm just walking around for the moment," I admitted. Mike cracked a smile.

"You should come with us to the park," he said. I stepped back a little at this offer.

"Oh…no, that's okay…"

"C'mon, Matt and Mallory are gonna be running around with their little friends the whole time!" Mike coaxed. This is how I found myself sitting on a bench with Mike, watching Mallory kicking Matt's ass for hitting on one of her friends, sharing a box of M and M's.

"Mallory sure is cool!" I exclaimed.

"A perfect description of her!" Mike laughed.

"So… what happened to you?!" I blurted out. I felt my face grow hot as he hung his head.

"Look, I really don't know about the whole 'Total Drama' thing," he said.

"You don't remember anything?" I asked in disbelief. He shook his head.

"But… sometimes I have these weird dreams," he said, staring into space. "I had a crush on you, didn't I?"

My cheeks felt hot again. "Yeah…"

"But you didn't want to date me because of my personalities… so I got surgery…" Mike mumbled, still staring into space.

"You… what?" I squeaked.

Mike snapped his head up. "What did I say this time?!"

"I…I don't understand…"

"Sometimes I say weird things…" Mike said, scratching the back of his neck. I decided not to question anything else.

Mike cursed as he dropped the box of candy on the ground. As he bent down to pick up the box, a shiny half-necklace swung forward off his chest. I got a stroke of inspiration at that moment. I dug out the other half from under my shirt.

I remembered getting it way too much. When I rejected him, he sort of hung his head in a really sad way.

"I get it…" he had said. I had watched as he dug a medallion necklace out of his pocket. His head still down, he snapped it in half and threw the broken bit on the ground. He walked away at that point, but I still remember picking up the other half and hanging it on a chain afterwards.

"I don't think we can still eat these…" Mike said, frowning at the box of candy. As soon as he looked up at me, I saw his eyes capture my necklace.

"How did you…" Mike said as his hand flew up to grab the half around his own neck. "Where did you get that?"

I silently matched up the halves as he watched in shock.

"How do you have the other-" Mike stopped suddenly.

Mike's POV

"_Zoey listen, my 'characters' they're not just for show… I-I have Multiple Personality Disorder…" I said, looking at my shoes. Zoey took a step back._

"_Why did you hide this from me?" she asked, sounding hurt. _

"_I didn't want you to think I was a freak…"_

"_Mike… If you had just told me, this wouldn't be a problem… but you had me thinking that you didn't like me after all and…well, now I'm over it…"_

"_You… don't want to date me…?" I said quietly._

"_I….no Mike…not now…."_

"_When?"_

"_I dunno…maybe never…"_

All of this ran through my head in a split second.

"You said you didn't want to be my girlfriend…so why do you have this necklace…?"

"I regretted my decision…and part of me really wanted to go back in time to change my answer… so after everyone else had gone to sleep, I went back to Mt. Chrismore and found the other half…"

"But why didn't you tell me?"

"Why did you lie in the first place?!" Zoey exclaimed.

"So you kept this all these years?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah… I wish I hadn't rejected you Mike, believe me!" Zoey confessed. "I never really gave up on you…"

I don't know what made me do it, but I kissed her. Right there on that park bench. I don't know if I did it to test her, or prove something, or what, but that's the fact.

"Ahem…" the twins said in that creepy synchronizing way.

I pulled away from Zoey awkwardly, standing up from the bench. We were too embarrassed to say anything to each other on the way back, even when I walked her home. As I collapsed on my bed that night, I realized that I was more confused as ever.


	3. Chapter 3:The Real You

**Warning: This chapter may contain more fluffiness than some may be able to handle. That is all...**

Mike's POV

"Mike, get ready for the party!" my mom called from downstairs.

"Why do I have to go to little Scooter's birthday party anyways? The kid is 5 years old!" I called back.

"You need to get social!"

"I _am _social! I went to the park with Zoey yesterday! Besides, why don't the twins have to go?"

"They don't want to go!"

"NEITHER DO _I_!" I yelled.

"Just get ready! We're leaving in 10 minutes." **(BTW, this was my exact reaction when my mom made me go to some kid's party, but she let my brother stay home. Not so happy with her these days...)**

If you haven't noticed yet, I wasn't pleased to find myself riding shotgun in the car, its destination being Scooter Landgrab's birthday party. First of all, the kid is a little monster, and second of all, I had a lot of thinking to do. The whole Zoey thing was jacking up my mind!

It was really awkward at the party. My mom was in the kitchen, drinking with the other kids' moms, and the 5 year olds were running around shooting Nerf darts at each other. I found myself in the corner of their 'mini library', sulking. I was so bored, I decided to crack open one of Mrs. Landgrab's romance books. It was so unbelievably cliché; it had the strong, perfect guy, the hot girl, the jealous guy, and the hot girl's unsupporting best friend. I had to throw the book on the ground, as it was as bad as shooting myself. Not a bad way to spend the… nah, that's terrible…

"Having fun Mike?" someone asked me, opening the door. Holy cow, it was _her._

Zoey's POV

"How do I keep running into you?" Mike asked me. I chuckled and sat down next to him.

"So what brings you to this party?" I asked him.

He scoffed a little. "Pft, family friend… you?"

"We were invited, since we're the 'new neighbors' and all" I said ruefully.

"Well," Mike said, standing up. "If this is a party, then why don't we have some fun?" He held out his hand to me, and I took it.

"What do you have in mind?" I smiled.

Mike spread a huge smile on his face and led me to the playroom, where all the little kids were.

"You have room for two more?" he asked Scooter, a red haired kid.

Scooter, who looked delighted to have more targets, thrust Nerf guns into our hands. From there, we teamed up to fight off the little kids. I can't remember having more fun.

When the kids had had enough, they flopped down on the couch in the room and watched SpongeBob. (Heh heh ^^)

I panted and sat on the floor next to Mike.

"Thanks for shooting me 4 times!" I said, pushing his shoulder. He laughed and pushed me right back.

We burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter and retreated back to the "library."

"Well that was fun!" I said, wiping a tear from my eye.

"It went better than I expected it to," Mike chuckled. I noticed something weird then.

"What are those?" I asked, pointing at his wrists. It looked like he had rubbed some chalk on there or something.

He took a deep breath. "If I tell you, do you promise to keep it a secret?"

"Of course!"

"Okay… a few weeks before I fainted in homeroom… I tried to… kill myself…" Mike said. "Go ahead and back away from me, because I'm sure you're just dying to…"

"But… why would you try to do such a thing?!" I exclaimed.

"The memory loss was really getting to me! I had a hard enough time with my MPD, but then people were bringing up things that I don't remember! I just… couldn't deal with it…And I had done it before my brain surgery too… Right after the island, I just couldn't help it… I just felt so powerless…And honestly… no one would miss me…" Mike said sadly.

"I'm so sorry Mike!" I said, hugging Mike.

"Oh, am I spoiling a moment?" Mike's mom said, opening the door.

Mike's POV

"Oh, it's nothing Mom," I said, standing up.

"Well, we're leaving in 5 minutes, so say goodbye to your little girlfriend there."

"She's not my girlfriend!" I said, my cheeks growing red.

"We're just… friends…" Zoey added.

"See?!" I shrieked.

"Okay, okay…" mom chuckled, closing the door.

I turned to Zoey. "Looks like I have to go…"

"See ya Mike," Zoey said, kissing my cheek. I smiled at her.

"Do you wanna come over for dinner tonight?" I offered.

"Why not? Sounds good," she replied.

"Great! I'll give you a ride."

In the car, my mom was acting like a goof.

"So did you kiss her?" she asked me.

"Mom!" I cried, getting more embarrassed by the second.

"She's pretty…" mom whispered so only I could hear.

"I know…" I sighed, looking out the window.

"Dinner will be ready in an hour." Mom announced upon entering the house.

I shrugged and led Zoey upstairs to my room.

"Your family is… interesting…" Zoey commented.

"Crazy is more like it…" I scoffed, taking a seat on my desk chair.

"I wish I had siblings…" Zoey sighed.

"Trust me, no you don't!" I said. We shared a laugh for a moment.

"So… is your dad at work or something?" Zoey asked.

I sighed. "I wouldn't know, actually…"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he went missing when I was a kid…" Mike said, drumming his fingers on his thighs

"I'm…sorry…" Zoey says, tears in her eyes.

"It's fine… so what about your folks?" I ask

"My dad is a drunk and my mom is dead…" Zoey said bitterly

In that moment, I got a sweet idea.

"Come with me," I said, motioning for Zoey to follow me. She stood up, not knowing anything of this plan. I asked mom for the car, to which she suspiciously said yes to.

"So… where are we going?" Zoey asked me.

"You'll see…"

When I pulled into the parking lot of a balloon shop, Zoey rolled her eyes.

"Why are we-" she started. I interrupted her by putting a finger on her lips.

"Wait right here," I said, hopping out of the car. I ran inside, returning with a red and blue balloon. I handed Zoey the red one, but she looked at me like I was crazy.

"Have you completely lost your mind?!" Zoey exclaimed.

"Hehe, don't answer that one," I said. When I got back home, we ran upstairs, still clutching the balloons.

"Mike, this is sweet and all, but a balloon isn't going to cheer me up at all," Zoey sighed as I fished through my desk for two sharpies.

"It's not about the balloons," I said, snatching up the markers. I passed one to Zoey, and she waited for any further instructions.

"I feel silly," she frowned.

"Let me explain," I said. "We're gonna write a message to someone who died. Then, at sunset, we're gonna release the balloons into the sky."

Zoey looked at me with tears in her eyes, then closed me in a tight hug.

"Thank you," she whispered. She sat on my bed after that, thinking about what she wanted to say. Just when she finished scribbling on her balloon, my mom called for dinner.

"We'll leave them up here," I explained, taking her hand. She nodded and closed the door behind her, trapping the messages in the room….

Zoey's POV

"Are you ready?" Mike asked beside me. I took a deep breath, clutching the string.

"I guess so…" I said. Together, we let go of the strings, watching them float up into the heavens. I stole a glance at Mike, who looked so peaceful and… perfect. Why did I ever hurt him?

"Thank you so much…" I whispered for the second time that day, wrapping my hand in his. He grinned at me, showing that cute gap in his teeth. Suddenly, I was kissing him, closing my eyes, letting the warmth fill me up.

"Want a walk home?" Mike smiled.

"Sure!" I replied, not letting go of his hand. It was as if he were my message balloon. But this time, I wasn't letting him go.

Mike's POV

"Seriously, I really enjoyed our time together!" Zoey enthused as we stood in front of her door.

"Well, maybe we should do it again sometime…" I replied.

"That's sounds cool. Well, see ya!" she said, but she didn't move.

"Bye…" I said.

The door to her house flew open to reveal an angry looking man. I could literally smell the alcohol vibrating from him, so I concluded that this was her drunk father.

"You," he grabbed Zoey's wrist. "Inside, now! And you…," he said, glaring at me. "Stay away from this house! I don't ever want to see you here again, got that?"

I nodded with a gulp. He smirked at me and slammed the door in my face. Shakily, I made my way back home.

Zoey's POV

After my dad had finished chewing Mike out, I watched him walk home. He looked shaky, but I couldn't help but envy him. He was going home to a nice family with a loving mother and two siblings who were there for him.

"Must be nice…" I said to myself.


	4. Chapter 4: An Old Friend

**Okay, I know I haven't updated this story in a bit, but I had some trouble with the plot of the story. Like, I had no idea what would come next, or how Zoey would help Mike. However, I'm back, and this story is definitely NOT over!**

Doctor Ian Waters had never actually connected with any of his patients, but one boy had him intrigued. This, of course, was Mike Smith. The fact that he had once had multiple personality disorder was interesting, but it was astounding that he had participated in a research surgery to get rid of it. While it was tragic that he had lost his memory in the process, Waters knew that with a few years of work, it could turn out to be miraculous.

Walking up the stone pathway to a large mansion, he knew this would probably be the most important step in getting to the cure. Knocking twice on the massive door in front of him, he wondered how difficult this moment would turn out.

A man, obviously drunk, violently wrenched the door open.

"Who are _you_?" the man spat. The doctor straightened his tie nervously.

"I-I'm Doctor Ian Waters…" he replied, somewhat afraid. The man hung his head.

"He's done it….He's finally done it…." He muttered. "I can't believe him…."

"Pardon?"

The man snapped his head up. "He's done it…Chef has finally called a doctor on me….I should have known…."

Waters grew impatient with the man. "Are you Chris McLean?" he snapped.

"Present!" Chris yelled, thrusting his hand up in the air. The smell of beer swirled around in the air, making the doctor gag a little. This went unnoticed by the former host, however.

"This may sound strange, and I know that your show was ended two years ago, but I need your help," Waters explained. Chris just laughed in his face.

"Me? H-Help you? Ha! As if!" he shrieked. The doctor flinched, not expecting this reaction.

"I have a patient that was on your show, and I need a tape. Please!" Waters pleaded. Chris glared at him for a moment, but soon began to smirk.

"Okay, I'll help…"

"Really? Fantastic!" the doctor enthused.

"However!" Chris said, holding up a hand, "It will cost you…"

The doctor gulped, realizing that the hospital was about to lose a _lot_ of money.

**Meanwhile at Mike and Zoey's school…**

"Sorry about my dad…" Zoey said, sitting next to Mike in the noisy cafeteria. Mike flapped his hand.

"It's fine! You _did_ tell me he was a drunk," Mike pointed out.

"Well, I didn't expect him to flip out like that," Zoey explained, taking a bite out of her sandwich.

"I told you, it's fine!" Mike repeated, flashing a smile at her. The bell rang soon after, causing the two to stand up to throw away their trash.

"I'll see you later," Zoey said, heading to her next class. Mike raised up a hand, signaling a goodbye. He stood there for a few moments, sighing.

"How is it that you managed to get the girl who rejected you to like you?" someone asked behind him. Mike turned around, frowning. Behind him stood a boy with a military haircut and jingling dog tags around his neck. "Not to be rude or anything, Mike," the boy added.

"Who are you?" Mike frowned once more, confused that the boy knew his name.

"It's me- Brick!" he exclaimed. Mike cocked his head.

"I don't believe I know you…"

"We were on Total Drama!" Brick explained.

"Oh! Sorry, Brick-was it? Well, I know I was on that show, but I don't remember it," Mike said. Brick looked extremely confused at this point.

"You _do_ have MPD, right?"

"I used to," Mike replied, shrugging. "Wiped my memory trying to get rid of it, too."

Brick facepalmed, as if he just realized something. "That's why you never responded when I waved to you in the halls! I always wondered why you hadn't talked to me within the two years I've gone to this school!"

"Sorry about that, then," Mike chuckled. At that moment, he realized that they were the only ones standing in the hall. "We have to get to class!"

"You're right!" Brick agreed, jogging down the hall to class. In the process, he managed to rip his bag on the sharp edge of a locker, causing his books to spill out everywhere.

"Oh, let me help you with that," Mike offered, kneeling down next to the boy. Brick thanked him and picked up one of his text books. It must have been really heavy because Brick let out a grunt.

Searing pain shot through Mike's head like a bottle rocket. Something was happening in his head, but what?

"_I-I can't hold on!" Mike exclaimed, apparently holding back a large gopher from harming Zoey and a short African American boy._

"_Mike!" Zoey whimpered._

"_Th-there's…something I have to tell you, Zoey…I-I have…" Mike never finished his sentence as the gopher was suddenly knocked out by something from behind._

"_Brick!?" Mike shouted in awe. Brick stood above the gopher, triumphantly clutching an award, which had broken in half._

"_Never leave a man behind…" Brick smiled warmly. _

"Mike?" Brick asked, shaking the boy's shoulder.

"You…You saved my life…in that mine on Total Drama…" Mike said, trembling. "Z-Zoey was there…and you were there….and I was there…."

"Th-that's right…but are you okay? You seem pretty shaken up…do you need to go to the nurse?" Brick asked, concerned for his old friend.

"N-No…I just….need to go to class…I'll see you later…." Mike murmured, straightening up. Through the rest of the day, he wondered how long this would continue to torture him. The worst times of his life were when those memories would haunt him, daring him to reach further, even though he couldn't. He considered asking his mother to schedule an appointment with the doctor, but he had finally convinced her that he was normal.

Mrs. Smith felt ashamed that her son had to go through that disorder, so she was relieved that he had gotten over it. Mike was too embarrassed to tell her about the random flashes of memories, and he had no intension of ever telling her the truth.

**After school…**

"Wait- you met up with Brick?!" Zoey exclaimed. They were walking home from school together, discussing Mike's encounter with Brick.

"Yeah…and I remembered that time he saved us from the gopher…" Mike said, staring into space. Zoey turned to him.

"That's it!" she exclaimed, "That's how we can get your memories back!"

"Excuse me?"

"If we can get the cast from the show to see you again, you might remember everything!" she said excitedly.

Mike got pumped up. "Could that work?!"

"I'm certain!" Zoey said. Mike's face split into a large grin, and he rushed to Zoey and gave her a big hug.

Zoey blushed, feeling the warmth of his chest.

"Thank you so much!" he whispered, not letting go of her.

"You might think I'm helping you, but this memory thing has been hard on me too. I mean, I know you're in there somewhere, but I can't seem to get to you." Zoey said.

"I know…but it's kind of funny…I always seem to gain control of who I really am when I'm with you," Mike confessed.

-Later-

Zoey extracted her house key on her pocket, dreading what would happen when she entered through the door. Using every last bit of her strength, she stuck the key in the lock, twisted it, and pushed the door open. To her surprise, the was no yelling or screaming at her entrance.

"Dad?" she asked out loud, pushing her luck a bit. A groaning sound was heard from her dad's bedroom.

"Zoey…is that you…?" he asked, sounding extremely hung over. This would happen so often. He would drink heavily for a while, then suffer a massive hang over when he finished. Zoey set her book bag down.

"Yeah Dad," she called back, fixing a glass of water. She carried the glass to her Dad's room, who was stretched out on the bed. "Drink this," she ordered him, thrusting the glass at him. She made sure he drank it all before letting him lay back in the bed.

"My head…." He murmured. Zoey took a seat at the edge of his bed. It felt good to be able to be in her own house for once. It was challenging to get all of the boxes unpacked in her house with him kicking her out all of the time.

"I'm so sorry….." he suddenly whimpered, covering his face with his hands. Zoey said nothing, sitting in confusion. "I have…a serious problem….I regret turning to the bottle…I know it's not the way…but it makes the pain go away so well!" he cried.

"Dad….you have to stop drinking…." Zoey pleaded. She knew that this was her only chance to get him to change. "It's not good for you…"

Her Dad nodded. "I'll try…." It sounded like music to her ears. The fact that he would even TRY to stop drinking meant that her Dad was still in there somewhere. Zoey stood up.

"C'mon, let's get out of here," Zoey said, actually _wanting_ to leave the house for a while. "Let's get something to eat."

So the two drove down to the local pizzeria and laughed their way through a pizza. For once, Zoey was glad to have her father around. Now, if only there was a way to get Mike's memories back as easily as her father…..

**Sorry if it sucked, or whatever, but things around my house have been weird lately… And I would've posted this on Saturday, but the internet stopped working. Oh well, better late than never, right…?**


	5. Chapter 5: Scott and Zoey

Mike's POV

The following Monday was one I'd like to forget forever. True, I was working on getting my memories back, but that Monday was a particular day I'd like to leave in the past, buried under everything after it. But obviously, this will never happen, so the best thing I can do is get over it.

Thankfully, I was called to the doctor's office after school, so I was able to see him in no time flat. Truthfully, I was pretty off guard by his call, seeing as I hadn't scheduled any appointments recently. Come to think of it, at the time I hadn't even contacted him recently.

"Glad you could make it!" he said as a greeting. I shook his hand, casting him a questioning look.

"So…you needed to see me?" I asked. He nodded his head, tugging a rolling TV set in front of me.

"I obtained some tapes from Chris McLean, and hopefully they will help you out a bit," Dr. Waters said proudly. I quickly started to get excited about his plan.

But as I made my way through 8 episodes, I realized that nothing was happening. It was an interesting program (And it was cool to see myself participating in the challenges) but my brain just felt fuzzy. It was as if part of me didn't want my memories back at all. Right after the Dakotazoid got flung off of the island, the doctor shut off the TV.

"So, how do you feel?" he asked, his face rapt with attention.

"Well….the same, but…what happens next?!" I exclaimed, protesting the cliffhanger. "What will happen to me? I know I get eliminated in the end, but who wins? And how did Zoey get eliminated?"

For a second, my doctor looked uncomfortable. "You really don't need to see anything else…" he said shortly, not quite meeting my eyes.

"But I want to see what happens next! What are you hiding?!" I argued. Dr. Waters sighed heavily, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Fine… But I don't think you'll like what you see…" he warned, sticking the next tape into the TV. He dimmed the lights, and the program began.

I watched in shock as Scott blackmailed me with my disorder. I had no recollection of this whatsoever, yet there it was, on the screen! I guess I had fooled myself to believe that I had confessed to Zoey on my own decision.

Shame covered me when Zoey rejected me, even more so when Scott voted for me to go home.

"**Mike, the toxic marshmallow of loserdom is yours!" Chris said finally. Mike hung his head in shame.**

**The screen then showed Mike slouching in the catapult.**

"**Well Mike, it was nice knowing you! All four of you! Or was it five? So hard to keep track…" Chris taunted.**

"**You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Mike frowned. The host shot a grin at the boy. Just then, Cameron ran up to the catapult.**

"**Mike, I just want to say sorry for not keeping my promise to you," Cameron apologized. Mike sighed.**

"**It doesn't matter anymore…Zoey doesn't like….freaks like me anyways..." Mike said bitterly. **

"**Can you two wrap it up? This is bumming me out!" Chris commented.**

"**Well, I hope we can still be friends after this," Cameron said miserably. Mike smiled at the boy.**

"**Of course we can still be friends!" he said happily. The two shake hands, sealing together their friendship.**

"**That's enough!" Chris bellowed, forcing the lever of the catapult down. Mike flew into the sky, screaming.**

My mouth was wide open. Had I contacted Cameron after that? Were we still friends? I started to say something to the doctor, but the show had an extra scene, apparently.

**You see Zoey sitting outside of her cabin, looking sad. Scott exits the cabin, taking a seat next to her.**

"**What do you want?" she snaps, glaring at the redhead.**

"**I'm sorry for hitting you with the can of paint… That was really inappropriate of me. And…well… sorry for voting off your boyfriend…" Scott said, not really looking sincere. Zoey didn't notice this.**

"**He wasn't my boyfriend…He lied to me, and I don't date liars…" Zoey sighed. Scott frowned, then smirked, putting an arm around her. **

"**Hey, I'm not a liar… And you know that you can trust me, right?" Scott said slyly. Zoey closed her eyes and leaned her head on his shoulder.**

"**Yeah, I can trust you…"**

I didn't like where this was going at all. I hoped what I thought would happen, wouldn't happen.

**Scott lowered his face to Zoey's. Zoey's eyes fluttered open. Seeing the redhead's face inches from hers, she did the unthinkable. She puckered her lips.**

_Oh god, please don't let them kiss!_ I pleaded. _Please! Don't let them kiss!_

**Scott's face got closer to Zoey's.**

_Please! Don't do it Zoey! Don't trust him! He can't be trusted!_

**Scott's face was less than centimeters from Zoey's face.**

_I will donate all of my Batman comics to goodwill if only they don't kiss! ALL OFF MY BATMAN COMICS!_

**Their lips connected.**

_WWWWWWHHHHYYYYYY?!_

My mouth fell open. Shock was an understatement. Zoey hadn't mentioned kissing that… that…trailer park reject!

**The two kissed for a few moments. Suddenly, a cabin door flew open, causing Zoey and Scott to jump away from each other. Cameron stood there, his mouth gaping.**

"**Wha….wha…uh…WHAT?!" he sputtered. "A….A…All this time..? Is…that…you…how could…poor guy….all this time…not him…it's you…" he rambled.**

"**C-Cam…." Zoey whimpered.**

"**Mike wasn't the problem… A-All this time, y-you were dating…h-him?! That's why you s-said no to Mike…?"**

"**That's not it!" Zoey pleaded. Cameron whirled around and slammed the cabin door.**

_Atta boy, Cam..._ I thought, feeling a rush of affection for the bubble boy. My heart was broken regardless. Had Cameron not caught them… I shuddered to think of what would have happened.

I saw Dr. Waters staring at me from the corner of the room. I tried to control my emotions, but the thought of spending another second in that room was unbearable. So I fled. I didn't know where I was running, but somehow I got out of the building. Down the streets I ran. I couldn't believe it… Why did Zoey keep this from me? When was the last time she saw Scott, last week? Tears streamed down my face.

My heart stopped when I saw her walking down the sidewalk. My eyes grew wide, and I tried escaping her sight, but I was too late. She waved to me with a grin. I turned away from her, hoping she would just go away, but she ran up to me, concern in her gaze.

"What's wrong Mike?" I heard her ask.

Looking at her was so difficult. Did she even like me? Was she just helping me out of pity?

"…I saw episode 9 of Total Drama Revenge of the Island..." I managed to croak. I saw her face grow white. I couldn't stand looking at her pitiful face. I knew I looked like a mess, but I didn't care. My heart had broken once again at the hands of Zoey. I ignored her cries and pleas as I ran home, not once looking back.

**Well….yeah… I know I haven't been updating a lot. I'm at a really low part of my life right now, so forgive my procrastination. The thought of picking up my computer and actually writing a new chapter hasn't been sounding all that appealing to me. Instead I've been reading Bakuman and messing around on YouTube. (BTW Bakuman is a really awesome manga book that everyone should read ****) Whatever, I'm rambling. Speaking of YouTube, I'll be posting a fan art video soon, so be on the lookout for that. My channel name is on my profile for those of you who don't know. R&R!**


	6. Chapter 6: Jo

**Uh…so…there's not much to report here…heh heh heh…sorry, I'm really tired from my dance recital last night… Whatever, enjoy!**

No one's POV

Brick wandered down the streets, looking for a specific person. He knew she would be in an alley or something, but so far he hadn't been able to locate her. Suddenly, he heard a cry of terror behind a local convenience store.

"I didn't mean it! I didn't mean it!" shrieked a young boy. He was being pinned to the wall.

"You better believe you didn't mean it!" Jo threatened, dropping him on the ground. As soon as he was released, the kid scrambled to his feet and bolted.

"Jo, we need to talk," Brick called. Jo turned to face him, smirking.

"Oh, hey Damp Drawers!" she teased him.

"I have a mission for you," Brick said, ignoring the crude nickname. "Cadet Mike has lost his memory and needs our help getting it back."

If Jo cared, this would be the part where she jumped on board. This is not the case. "So? Why would I help that loser? He didn't make it past the merge!"

"Might I remind you that you were eliminated in the very next episode?" Brick hinted, rubbing his temples.

"Hey, my elimination was a total fluke, and you know it!" she snapped, crossing her arms. A faint blush appeared on her face at the memory.

"Jo! Mike needs our help! I don't know where the other contestants are, and I didn't know where else to turn to!" Brick pleaded. "Zoey asked me to round up as many people in the cast as I could!"

"Why doesn't Zoey find them herself? Wasn't she friendly with that guy Scott? And anyways, why is Zoey helping Mike when she rejected him?"

"I'm not sure, but I never refuse my orders!" Brick insisted, pulling a random salute.

"Fine, I'll help out…" Jo said, looking unimpressed. "I'm pretty bored anyways…"

Brick's face split into a broad grin. "Thank you so much!" To show his thanks, he wrapped his arms around the jockette.

"Whoa! Unhand me, heathen!" Jo exclaimed, her blush spreading.

Mike's POV

Exhausted, I finally collapsed on my porch. The tears were long gone now, only to be replaced with a feeling of bitter emptiness. Mostly, I felt embarrassed. How could I think she would stay single forever? What happened to their relationship after that episode? And above all, were they still dating?

I was too confused to even think, so I dragged myself inside the house, taking a seat at the kitchen table. Matt and Mallory bounced out of the living room.

Matt's eyes widened at the sight of my pale skin, sunken face, and sad posture. "Geez Mike, you should see the doctor. You look a little HART sick!" he said, nudging Mallory.

"Yeah, he looks like he's WADING in trouble," she giggled.

"He looks as sour as a LEMON!"

"His face is as rough as a BRICK!"

"WILL YOU STOP WITH THOSE HART OF DIXIE JOKES?!" I screamed, banging my fists on the table. The twins lost the twinkle in their eyes. Their smiles faltered.

"What's wrong?" Mallory asked.

"I just…I don't have time for this…I don't feel well…." I muttered, hanging my head.

"Did something bad happen?" Matt asked, his eyes wide. The last time I had acted so crummy was when dad went missing. We weren't sure if he had just left us behind or had been murdered or not, but we hadn't seen him in 9 years. That was around the time I had summoned my MPD. As cops filed in and out of the house, I found that I wasn't getting much attention, so I created characters to keep me company. I was only 9 at the time, and I didn't understand that no one likes that one kid who talks to himself. No one would play with me at recess, so I talked to my personalities and trees and stuff. Kids teased me for it, calling me names like freak, loser, loner, scum, juvenile, weirdo, and, my favorite, crazy. Pretty soon, they started beating me up, believing I was too weak to fight back. At first I just let it happen. Then, when I felt like I couldn't take it anymore, Vito showed up. I'm not sure if I created him or whatever, but he took the beatings for me, and even fought back. I tried to thank him for helping me by giving him some time to control my body, but he got a little greedy. By the time I decided to stop him, he was breaking out whenever he wanted to. Pretty soon, there were millions of personalities popping out, each becoming more defined by the day.

I forced my mouth into a smile, not wanting to upset the kid. "Everything is fine," I assured him. The two nodded once, they retreated back into the living room, probably discussing my behavior. Not wanting to move from my spot at the table, I thought of the kiss. It just came out of nowhere. Who would've thought, right? Zoey and Scott? What a weird pairing! But… you don't see Scott being controlled by crazy characters.

I sighed, not knowing what to do. Should I make up with Zoey, or hold my grudge? Then again, Zoey kissed me twice in the past month. Why would someone who kissed my enemy kiss me unless they truly regretted their decision?

I decided to swallow my pride and apologize to Zoey. She'd devoted so much time for me! She became my friend (and maybe even more than a friend, if you know what I mean….) and stayed by me when I didn't remember a thing about her! I crossed a line when I yelled at her on the street. The reason she never told me about it was probably because she knew I would flip out. These things ran through my head as I made my way up the path to her house.

I almost dropped my shit when her father opened the door. My previous meeting with him hadn't been glamorous, as he ordered me to stay away from his daughter. To my relief and surprise, he greeted me with a handshake.

"Hello there, how may I help you?" he asked pleasantly as we shook hands.

"Er…I'm looking for Zoey…" I said, somewhat unnerved by his new behavior.

"Zoey! There's a boy here for you!" her dad called. I thought of running away at that point. This was just so weird… When did I wake up in the Twilight Zone?

Zoey's dad disappeared from the doorway, allowing Zoey into view.

"Uh…Hi….I just wanted to…uh…apologize for yelling at you and all…I just…well…er…I got a bit jealous I guess…Like Cameron, I figured you rejected me cuz' you were with Scott…but…uh…I'm sorry….and uh….well….yeah…." I babbled. I wasn't sure what to say; her dad's greeting had thrown me off guard.

Zoey nodded, absorbing my words. "Okay…" she said finally. So after all of the talking I had just spewed out, she lets out two syllables? And what did "okay…" mean anyways?

"Uh…okay…?" I asked, hoping I didn't look as confused as I was inside.

"Just…okay…" Zoey said. "Let's just…forget about it…"

"Uh...yeah…" I agreed. "So…uh…"

I heard a pair of footsteps end behind me. I took this as a good diversion and turned to face them. Brick and Jo stood there, looking determined.

"Cadet Zoey, I've brought you Jo," Brick reported.

"Excellent!" Zoey exclaimed, pulling me over to Jo. At once I could feel a tingle in my brain.

"Hi…" I said to her. She wasn't that much of a looker… It was hard to tell if Jo was a male or female!

"_Okay Strongman, make yourself useful and put that coffin back so the rats won't know where to look," Jo ordered Vito. Vito punched to coffin into the ground with a snort of gleeful laughter._

"Episode 4, Finders Creepers, Jo told Vito to shove to coffin back into the ground so the rats wouldn't find the flashlights," I said. The others cheered, so I could only guess that I got it right.

"This is perfect! The plan is working!" Zoey said. Oh yeah, in all of the confusion, I had forgotten all about the plan! It was then that I realized how pointless it all felt. I pulled Zoey aside, requesting to talk with her.

"What's up?" she asked with concern almost matching Matt's.

"I just…Why are we trying so hard to get my memories back? Don't I have enough? I mean…I've watched the whole season, so I know what happens to me. I lost, you lost, Cameron won! Wait a minute…" I muttered. "I only watched until episode 9…I didn't get to see the finale…What's going on?!"

"Mike, you just remembered something! This time, it didn't hurt you!" Zoey said.

Well, looks like we've made a breakthrough!

**Gah, I've run out of creative juices! Sorry guys, but I can't find any words that don't make this story sound childish and terrible, so I'm just going to stop right here. Again, sorry.**


	7. Chapter 7: A Long Day

Mike's POV

I staggered out of Brick's truck, staring at the huge mansion in front of us.

"Zoey, I'm loving the help, but Brick and Jo are the only ones who are allowed to tag along after this," I told her, glaring at the uninvited guests.

Brick and Jo followed me out of the truck, rolling their eyes. "Hey! Be glad that you HAVE our help. Without us, you would be nowhere, fuzzy brain," Jo snapped.

"I'm just saying, I never planned for you two to come with us," I replied, making my way to the massive front door. Zoey fell in step with me.

"Well it's nice that they're helping," Zoey said thoughtfully.

"Whatever," I said. "But from now on, we're a team of four. No more, no less."

We were visiting mega-jock Lightning's mansion, hoping that he'd have some memories for me. I'd argued that I'd never interacted with the guy, but Zoey told me that it was better to be safe than sorry. So there we were, waiting patiently at the door after ringing the bell.

"Sha-BAM!" Lightning cheered at first sight of us. "Lightning hasn't seen you guys in a whole YEAR! Lightning is glad you could make it to his sha-birthday party!"

We all froze on the front step. Sha-birthday party? Oh crud, I hoped he didn't expect a-

"So where's sha-Lightning's gift?" he asked, looking at us expectantly.

"Oh…uh….it's still being delivered!" Jo lied.

"Uh…yeah! We…uh…we ordered rush delivery….but…I guess it got…l-lost!" Brick piped up, jabbing his finger in the air. We all sweated and nodded. Lightning studied us with curiosity for a second, but resumed his normal hyper-active behavior.

"Sha-Lightning is glad his friends could make it!" he beamed at us. "Come on in! Sha-Anne Maria and Scott are already here!"

I could feel my face harden at the names Anne Maria and Scott. I knew I had quite a history with both of them and was not too keen to see them. Lightning gave us a grand tour of the mansion (Consisting of ten bedrooms, five bathrooms, an indoor pool, an outdoor pool, a mini gym, a basketball court, a trophy room, and a game room.)

We could see Anne Maria and Scott talking to each other when we entered the game room. I was surprised when Lightning wrapped an arm around Anne Maria's thin waist.

"Sha-Lightning and Anne found out they had a lot in common after the show," Lightning said proudly. "Now Sha-Lightning has someone who can cheer him on at his basketball and football games."

"Congratulations guys," Jo commented neutrally.

"So how's it going you guys?" Anne Maria asked.

"Well…Mike here has lost his memories, so we're kinda trying to get them back," Zoey explained. Scott cocked his head at her.

"Wait, wait…he's lost his memories? Ugh, first it was MPD, now he's gone and forgotten everything. What a retarded loser!" he said, sneering at me. I tried to ignore him, but the truth of his words stung me. What was wrong with my brain? Why couldn't I be like everyone else?

Lightning frowned at Scott's comment. "Sha-hey now, that wasn't very nice," he said. To my surprise, Scott hung his head.

"I'm sorry…It's just that…Dawn said she wouldn't date me last night…so I'm a little angry and sore about that…" Scott said sadly.

Lightning patted him on the back. "Sha-bam brother, it'll be alright…"

So far was his voice from the one he used in the finale.

"_Nice suitcase! Is Cammy-bear running home to Mommy? Ha ha ha!" Lightning commented._

"_Nope! Heh heh heh….That's your job!" Cameron said, kicking the suitcase. A suit of technological armor attached itself to Cameron, making him look like Iron Man. "Game on!"_

_Lightning looked a little shaken by Cameron's suit, but his powerful stance never faltered._

Suddenly, the scene changed.

"_You see any clues, Vito baby?" Anne Maria asked flirtatiously._

"_Eh, what's a clue?" Vito barked._

The scene changed again.

"_Here's the deal; you help me in today's challenge, and I won't tell Zoey the truth about all your funny characters," Scott said._

"_How do you know about that?" I asked incredulously._

"_Sorry…" Cameron whimpered, appearing beside me._

"Mike! Mike! Mike!" Zoey yelled. I cracked open my eyes. Above me hovered Zoey's concerned face. Somehow I had slumped to the floor, probably moaning and crying out.

"Did I…Did I…?" I tried to ask.

"What did you remember, Cadet?" Brick asked eagerly.

"I…I remembered the finale…a-and a whole bunch of other stuff…" I choked out. Zoey extended her hand out, which I gratefully used to pull myself up.

"Geez, you don't look so good," Jo commented. "You're all clammy and shakey…"

"I'm…I'm really tired…." I said. My head felt light. It was as if I had taken a major nap.

"We should probably head back anyways," Zoey said, checking her watch.

"Oh yeah! Jo, we should leave now so we can catch that movie you wanted to see!" Brick said checking his own watch.

Jo blushed. "Why did you have to announce it to the whole room?" she complained.

"Wait- you're going to go to a movie with _Brick_?!" Scott snickered.

"W-Well…Okay…so maybe I agreed to go on a date with him! Big deal!" Jo grumbled. But I swear, I think I saw them holding hands once we climbed back into Brick's truck.

Zoey's POV

Brick dropped Mike off first, seeing how tired he was.

"Poor guy," he commented. "Just remembering tires him out."

"Yeah, it's terrible. Good thing he's got us to support him," Jo said.

"This is all my fault…" I said after a long silence. Jo turned around in her seat to stare at me.

"What makes you say that?" she demanded.

"If I hadn't rejected him, none of this would have ever happened…"

"Yeah but….at least you've been patient! Hell, if Brick lost his memories, I would slam the door in his face!"

"Hey!" Brick exclaimed. Jo patted his hand.

"Just kidding! You know I wouldn't do that!" she assured him. Brick smiled and concentrated once more on the road. Once he had turned away, though, Jo mouthed a silent "I really would slam the door," to me.

I waved to Brick and Jo after unlocking the front door. The day had been crazy, and I was aching to fall into my bed and take a long deserved nap. I barely managed to stagger upstairs before blacking out.

When I woke up two hours later, the house held an eerie silence. I checked the time; 9:00.

"Dad?" I called. Usually the evening news droned on downstairs at this time of the day. There was no reply. I started to panic, wondering if he had turned to drinking again.

I stepped out in the hall, hoping he just hadn't heard me. "Dad?" I called, louder this time. I stood at the top of the stairs, dread piercing my stomach.

"Hello?"

I tiptoed into the darkness of our kitchen. The smell of alcohol swirled around in the air.

"Oh no…" I moaned. I groped the wall for the light switch. I could see a large mass seated at the table. I managed to find the switch and flipped it up. As soon as light flooded room, I screamed in horror. Dad's eyes were glazed over, his body lifeless.

Immediately, I ran over to him, shaking his body, not accepting the possibility of him being…dead…

"Dad! Wake up!" I screamed. Gasping with tears, I seized the house phone and dialed 911.

"911, what's your emergency?" the operator asked in a cheery tone.

"I need an ambulance! My Dad isn't moving! I...I think he's dead!"

The next hour was a blur. The paramedics arrived and loaded him into an ambulance. I sat through a tedious waiting period until the doctor called my name from a little clipboard.

"How is he?" I gasped. He took my hand.

"I'm so sorry…"

Mike's POV

My dream was interrupted by three sharp knocks on my door.

"Come in," I groaned. Mallory pushed the door open.

"Phone for you, big bro," she said, pushing the phone into my hands. "Be quick though, I'm expecting a call."

"What call are you expecting at this hour?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. She blushed.

"None of your business…." She mumbled, turning around and walking out of the room.

"Hello?" I asked into the phone.

"Hi Mike…" Zoey said.

"Is everything okay?" I inquired. She sounded stressed out and a little…depressed.

"I…no…no, nothing is okay…my Dad is…is…" she stuttered.

"What's wrong with him?"

"He's….dead…." she finally cried. The news stunned me.

"H-huh?" I feebly asked, my brain frozen.

"He d-died of kidney failure…." She sniffled.

"Zoey…" I whispered. "I'm so…I'm sorry…Do you need a place to stay? We've got plenty of room at our house."

"Would your mom mind? I've got nowhere else to go…"

"She wouldn't mind a bit! She loves helping people in their time of need…." I said. I wasn't too sure if my mom would be 100% okay with Zoey staying at my place, but this wasn't the main concern.

"Okay…I just don't want to barge in unwanted…" she said wearily.

"It's fine! You've been helping me a lot lately! Now is the time to pay you back for all of your kindness," I swore.

"Alright…I'll be there soon…" With that, she was gone.

Immediately, I ran down the hall to my mom's room.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Zoey's dad just died," I replied, looking down.

She set her book down. "Oh no…"

"Can…can she stay here for a while…?" I requested. "She doesn't have anywhere else to go…"

Mom's lips pressed together for a second. Finally she said, "O-Okay…But she will be staying in the guest bedroom."

"Of course!" I chirped, relieved that she had obliged so easily. I turned out of the room, waiting to greet Zoey's arrival.

Zoey's POV

As soon as I entered his house, Mike pulled me into a big hug. That was it for me. A flood of tears and pain exploded from my eyes. I had wet his t-shirt, but Mike just pulled me closer.

"I know….it hurts now….I know…" he whispered, making me feel a bit better.

"I…I had finally gotten him back!" I sobbed. "For the f-first time in years, he a-actually loved me! He w-was g-getting better! H-he was doing s-so well! Why…why would he d-drink again? H-How could he do this?!"

Mike held on to me as if his life depended on it. A lone tear rolled down his face and onto my head.

"Zoey…I know it hurts…but you can't break down…you can't slip…I lost it when my dad left…I don't want you to go through the same thing…" he told me. Then, carrying me bridal style, he took me to the guest room.

He laid me on the crisp white sheets. "I'll be back…" he promised, running out of the room.

Ten minutes later, he walked back in with a small smile on his face.

"You have visitors…" he said. Behind him emerged Brick and Jo. "And they have something to tell you," he smirked.

Jo shot him a warning look. "Go on…" Mike urged.

"Me…and…Brick….are…going…out…." Jo mumbled. My face broke into a tiny smile.

"That's great!" I whispered.

"Anyways," Brick said, his face somber. "We heard about your dad…Sorry Zo…"

I smiled at the cadet. "Thanks Brick. You're a real sweetheart!"

"I'm her sweetheart," he laughed, grabbing Jo planting a kiss on her head. Jo didn't object, just triggered yet another blush.

For the rest of the night, we all talked and tried our best to laugh. After my dad's death, it seemed impossible for me to feel as good as I did that night, but there I was, smiling at Brick, Jo, and Mike. Eventually the events of the day caught up with us, making us feel drowsy. With a huge yawn, Brick stretched, settling himself on the floor.

"Good Night guys," he said. Jo curled up next to him, glaring at us as if to say, "If anyone talks, I'll shoot you."

Mike stood up and brushed his lips with mine.

"Good night Zoey…" he said.

"Good night Mike…" I answered, pulling the covers around my shoulders. "And good night Daddy…"

"_Good night Zo…"_


	8. Chapter 8: B and Dawn

Zoey's POV

I woke up the next morning, hoping that what happened was a dream. But as soon as I saw Brick and Jo passed out on the floor, the unfamiliar white sheets, and the flawless white wallpaper, I knew. My father was gone. Gone forever. It was hard to believe that a few hours before I had sat up, almost laughing.

I swung my legs over the edge of the bed. Stepping over the bodies of Brick and Jo, I exited the room. I needed fresh air. I finally found my way to the front door. I slipped out, opening and closing the door as quietly as I could.

In all of the craziness, I had lost track of how quickly the days and months had flown by. Spring had already arrived, bringing with it colonies of beautiful flowers. The air smelled sweet as I inhaled the scent of daisies. Spring had always been my favorite season. Every year, my dad and I would go out and pick a new flower for me to wear in my hair. I realized with a pang that he would never be able to do so again. This knowledge brought new tears to my eyes. Soon I was huddled over, crying my eyes out on my hands.

"Why? WHY?!" I screamed. "How could you?! Didn't you love me, Daddy? You were doing so well!"

Someone tugged on my arm. I jumped, not knowing anyone had followed me outside. It was just Mallory.

"Oh! Sorry Mallory, I didn't know you were out here," I said awkwardly, sniffling a bit.

"I'm sorry about your Dad…" she said quietly. Then, she did something that amazed me. She held out her hand. In it, laid the most beautiful flower I had ever seen. It was almost as if she had been reading my mind.

"How…How did…?" I stammered, taking the flower in my hands.

"I knew you liked flowers from the one you wear in your hair," Mallory pointed out, smiling. "It's pretty."

"Thank you," I said softly. I pulled her into a hug, feeling a bit better.

Mike's POV

Zoey was the only thing on my mind the next morning. I felt bad for her, especially since her dad was the only person she had left. In a way, I felt like it was my fault he was dead. If only I hadn't gone and lost my memories, Zoey would've been home that day and been able to help him. But no. I had brought her into the mess, killing her dad in the process. I felt like such an idiot! Had Zoey contemplated this, writing me off as a bad guy?! I hoped not. If there was anyone I wanted to keep, it was Zoey. Other than my family, Brick, Jo, and Cam, she was the only one I cared about. Everyone else, they weren't as important.

It was almost 12:00 when I yanked myself out of bed, stretching my legs. A strange sight greeted me when I entered the kitchen. Zoey and Mallory sat at the table, talking as if they were best friends.

"Good morning sleepy head!" they greeted me.

"Uh…Morning…" I replied, shuffling over to the cabinet and grabbing a box of cereal. I poured myself a bowl, seating myself next to Matt, who was playing his PSP under the table.

"They've been jabbering on for almost an hour," Matt groaned, rolling his eyes. "They're talking about all sorts of things! Make up, hair, clothes! Ugh!"

I chuckled at the boy's reaction. Brick and Jo then arrived, begging me for some food. I guess they were starving. Soon we all had bowls of cereal, eating and chatting.

"Well well, it looks like my children have multiplied," Mom commented when she got an eyeful of all of us.

"I swear to God Mom, these two are just hobos who walked in out of nowhere," I joked, pointing at Brick and Jo. Everyone laughed, feeling a good natured vibe in the room.

Eventually, Matt retreated to his room, muttering under his breath about how we were all freaks. Mallory jumped up at the sound of the phone ringing, taking the call into her own room.

"So I was thinking we should track down B and Dawn next," Brick mentioned. "They live next door to each other. I talked on the phone with Dawn, and she said she would be delighted to have 'friends from the island visit'" he quoted.

"Sure," I agreed. "Zoey, will you be fine to come?"

She nodded. "Some outing will be good for me. I'll have time to mourn later."

I frowned, feeling that something was wrong with the picture before me. Zoey was laughing with us, though her dad had died only the night before.

"Uh…Brick, can I talk to you somewhere…?" I asked. He agreed, though curiously. I pulled him into the bathroom, away from any prying eyes and ears.

"What's up?" he asked me.

"There's something wrong with Zoey. She shouldn't be this happy! She was crying her eyes out just last night! Now, she's all laughy and smiley! What's wrong with her?!" I exclaimed.

Brick thought for a minute, tapping his chin. "I think….she might be in denial…" he concluded. "She's probably trying to forget about her dad on the outside, yet on the inside, it's killing her…"

I was stunned by his observations. "Uh…when did you get so smart…?"

"What's that supposed to mean?!" he snapped. I laughed, tugging him back into the kitchen.

"So when should we hit the road?" Jo asked.

"Why don't we just go now?" I suggested. "There's no point in waiting. And frankly, I'm ready to get some memories!"

So there we were an hour later, rolling along on the way to B and Dawn. To my embarrassment, my mother had packed us little cheese sandwiches for the trip, warning us not to come back home late. The weekend had come to Sunday, meaning we had school the next day. As we shot past the suburbs, rumbling through the countryside, I noticed that we were smack dab in the middle of spring. I had hardly noticed it creep up behind us. Months had flown by since that day I had no idea who Zoey was as she slowly defined herself in my frozen memory. I realized that my final year of school was almost over, yet I had no idea what I was going to do when I graduated. In fact, I had no idea where I stood with Zoey. Was she my friend, or my girlfriend? Would she stick by me even after my memories came back, or would she drop me in pursuit of her own life? And what was going to happen to all of us? Would we all stick together, or fall apart, never to see each other again? Would we drift apart, regarding each other with awkwardness? I knew Brick certainly wouldn't stay by, already planning to enter the military, but would Jo drop us as well? And what about Zoey? What did she want with her future? What was to happen to me, and to us?

It was a lot to think about. In fact, it was enough to occupy my mind until we pulled up in front of a humble house made of logs. Somewhat further away sat a house with a large machine made of tiny little gizmos.

"Yup, B and Dawn definitely live here," Brick said, turning the key out of the ignition. We all unbuckled our seatbelts and threw our doors open, gazing at the woods behind the log house. I noticed a massive tree had been turned into some sort of sanctuary. Squirrels and birds hopped along it, searching for food. Plants looped around the house. Several wind chimes and dream catchers hung from various trees. If Dawn didn't live here, I didn't know who else could.

A middle aged woman greeted us before we even knocked on the door.

"Greetings children of the planet. Dawn will see you shortly," she said dreamily.

We all stared at each other. How could she have known…?

"I also read auras, much like my daughter," the woman said, as if she were reading our minds. Well, she probably was…

Dawn appeared in the doorway.

"Greetings friends!" she squeaked. "Mike, you have come to collect your memories, yes?"

"Er…yeah…" I replied uneasily.

She shook her head. "There is no need to feel strange. Simply take my hands and I shall return your memories to you. I was wondering when you'd come to see me. Mother Earth had prophesized you'd be here eventually."

Shakily, I grabbed her small hands and closed my eyes. Dawn hummed a spiritual noise. As if there were a screen plastered to my eyelids, I began to see and remember.

"_Yes, that would be good considering you were an only child," Dawn said, nodding at Zoey._

"_Wha..? Who told you that?!" she gasped._

"_Your soul reads like an open book! It must have been difficult…" she replied, taking Zoey's hand. Zoey snapped her hand back, looking terrified._

The scene changed.

"_Friends, you must listen to me! I was framed!" Dawn exclaimed, surrounded by all of the campers._

"_Forget that; you're getting a beat down!" Anne Maria threatened, clutching her hair brush._

"_Ladies, please. This is a _rat_ problem, and we'll be dealing with this rat tonight," Scott smirked. "See you at elimination..heh heh heh…"_

_Dawn whimpered._

"Did you really steal that stuff?" I blurted out. Dawn smiled.

"No Mike. I had been framed by that wretched Scott."

"Oh…hey….I didn't feel any pain!" I exclaimed. Every time I had remembered the campers, I had felt a searing pain in my head.

"I lessened the pain for you. It has to be difficult to remember things of such a brute nature."

"Wow, thanks Dawn!" I thanked her. "Well, we should see B now."

Zoey held up a hand. "Wait…uh….Dawn…can you….do you have to ability to talk to people beyond the grave?"

Dawn shook her head. "I'm very sorry about your father, but I cannot see people once they have passed away."

"Oh…right…I get it…." Zoey said, hanging her head. I put my hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

She looked up at me. "I'm fine. Let's go see B."

So we set off across the way to B's house. When we rang the doorbell, mechanical whizzes and chimes were heard. B opened the door, looking delighted to have visitors.

"Hello B. I've lost my memories, and I was wondering if you had any for me," I greeted him. He nodded and motioned for us to follow him. We stepped into his house, staring in wonder at the homemade machines that covered the house. A robot dog darted around our legs. A large machine sat in the corner of the living room, using mechanical arms to fold B's laundry. B patted a stool in the kitchen. He pointed at me, then the seat, telling me to sit down. After I had climbed onto the stool, he put a bowl-shaped item on my head, shielding my view of the others. Pictures of the island played, making my head hurt with my memory hopping.

"_B, and Dawn!" Chris narrated. _

"_Your aura is exceptionally purplish green! Oh, it suits you though!" Dawn said, patting B's back. B smiled at her._

The scene changed.

"_Who's name is really Beverly?" Chris smirked, holding a card._

"_That's not an embarrassing question! Who cares if a girl's real name is Beverly?" Brick complained. There was a moment of silence until B pushed the buzzer._

"_Correct! Beverly…" Chris teased. "The rats get the point! Though I would've preferred a verbal response…"_

"_But B never talks! Just look at his aura!" Dawn defended him._

"Whoa!" I exclaimed.

"Did you remember him?" Brick asked.

"Yeah…this is getting to be too easy!" I said proudly. "Thanks B!"

B nodded. We waved goodbye to him, piling back into the truck, setting off back home.

**Sorry if this chapter was really boring. Frankly, I didn't really like this chapter, so it's a win-win! **** Make sure to tell me your thoughts and review!**


	9. Chapter 9: what a waste of time!

Zoey's POV

I was so confused. Why was my dad's death not killing me inside? I tried to look to my heart, but all I found was emptiness. I didn't know what was wrong with me, or why it had happened at all. Why had this happened? When would I face the facts? Was I in denial?

Another thing confusing me was my relationship with Mike. Why did it hurt when he called me "buddy" or "pal"? I wanted to be more. But… was he remembering my words from the island? I hoped not. I never meant to hurt him that way. All I wanted was someone who got me. Someone I didn't have to keep guessing with. Someone who didn't make me feel confused when I talked to him. Someone who didn't make me doubt love.

Why couldn't life be easy? Why did we have to go to great lengths to be happy?

Mike's POV

The weekend couldn't come quick enough. Though it left me drained, disoriented, and somewhat upset, I needed to collect more memories. I knew that the sooner I remembered everything, the sooner I would be a normal person again.

"I say we hit Dakota's mansion next," I said to Brick. We had become "the brains of the operation." We were the ones who chose who to go to, which routes to take, and what kind of snacks to bring for the road. :P

"Why Dakota's mansion?" Brick asked.

"Because it's closer than Staci or Cameron's house and I'll bet anything that Sam will be there, helping us kill two birds with one stone!" I explained. He nodded thoughtfully at my thinking.

Suddenly, he smiled at me.

"Hey cadet, after we see Dakota and Sam, you'll only have Staci and Cameron left to see," he grinned.

"I know! It's almost over…" I replied, taking a seat at the table. We were in the kitchen while Jo, Zoey, and Mallory talked in the living room. "I kinda want to save Cameron for last. I want the last visit to be…special…"

Brick leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. "Cadet…can I ask you a question?"

"Go for it," I said leisurely.

"I…Why did you get surgery?"

I stared at him. "Well…to get rid of my MPD of course!"

He shook his head. "No…why would you take the risk of an experimental surgery? You must've known it could turn out to be dangerous. And with all of those papers you'd have to sign, you'd have to be thick not to know."

He had me there. So I decided to come clean to him. Why? Because…I felt like I could tell him anything. He was my friend, so I owed him an explanation.

"You're right. I did know that the surgery was dangerous. In fact, I was informed that there was a 75% chance that it could damage me forever. But…I….I was done. I was done with life. I had had enough mental and physical abuse. I was done…being me," I told him, looking at my feet. "Nothing good had happened to me in years. I didn't know what I was living for. But after the surgery…after the damage was done…After it was all over…I wondered what could have been if I never had those personalities. I'd been known as the town freak. Stay away from Mikey, he's bad news. Mike is a mentally disturbed boy, don't go near him. Mikey the freak. Mikey the screw up. Mikey the retard. The whole town knew I was a loser. I don't even know why they never gave me a chance…"

"Mmmm," Brick murmured. "But…why are you fighting now?"

"I'm fighting…for Zoey…"

Just then, Jo walked in.

"So where are we heading?" she asked, snatching the map we had laid out on the kitchen table.

"We're going to see Dakota and Sam," I answered.

"Hey, didn't Dakota use her share of Cam's money for surgery or something? I heard she was back to being a human…" Jo commented, studying the map.

"Really? But I thought Sam liked the Dakotazoid look," Brick said.

"Well, yeah, but her parents didn't. But a surgery that broad would have to be really expensive! Good thing her dad is practically a billionaire."

"Hey, if we want to get to her house before it gets dark, we'd better head out," I piped up, grabbing Brick's car keys from the counter.

And there we stood, nearly four hours later, in front of a mansion bigger than Lightning's. You could tell a rich person lived here! There was even a whole line of limos!

"Wow...Dakota is...really...really...really...really...rich..." Zoey said in awe. When we rang the doorbell, whimsical chimes filled the air, followed by two sets of feet. Sam and a regular looking Dakota answered the door.

* * *

"So...he's lost his memories...and he needs our help to get them back?" Dakota asked with her eyebrows raised.

"Yes."

"Hey, I'm game," Dakota responded, shrugging.

"Did you say game?!" Sam asked, looking excited.

There was a collective facepalm as Brick tried to explain to Sam what Dakota meant.

"Okay guys, here goes nothing," I said, taking a step forward.

* * *

_"Buf-fah-fah did not want Mike?" Dakotazoid asked sitting I a huge deck chair. They were sitting around he pool at Playas Des Losers after Mike's elimination._

_Mike shook his head. "No...she probably never wanted me..."_

_"So...Zoke is dead?" Sam asked quietly._

_"It was never alive to begin with..."_

* * *

"huh?" Brick asked staring at me. "What do you mean, 'it was never alive to begin with'?"

"I-I just remembered myself saying that...well, at least I got a memory of Playas Des Losers..."

I put a smile on my face, but I was disappointed. We had come all this way for that? We put our time into coming, when all that happened was one measly two second memory?! What a rip off! In fact...Why was I even bothering coming to people I had barely interacted with?!

"So...thanks for coming around..." Dakota said. It was clear she was weirded out and finished with us. Sam looked apologetically behind us.

* * *

"Well that was a waste of time!" Jo exclaimed when we got back to the car. Brick pulled out of the massive driveway, shifting gears and not responding. "I say we visit bubble boy next! I don't think I could stand a meeting with Staci only for pointy to remember something totally worthless! Geez, couldn't you have remembered something worthwhile-"

"I'm trying my best!" I yelled. Jo looked at me, her eyes flashing. Zoey winced and grabbed my arm.

"You're trying your best? Then how come you dragged us out here only to remember two seconds?!" Jo sneered.

"I didn't drag anyone anywhere! You chose to tag along! If this is your way of letting me know you don't want to do this anymore, just say it!"

"You're lucky you have me! If it weren't for me, you'd be toast!" Jo exclaimed.

"How? How have you been helping? All you've done is brag about how we need you!" I yelled.

"Mike, stop!" Zoey whispered, digging her fingers into my arm.

"Don't TOUCH ME!" I roared, smacking her across her face. She didn't respond for a moment. Then, she looked into my eyes with the deepest look of loathing.

"I...didn't...that was an accident..." I whimpered.

"You Jackass!" Jo screamed. "You can't just hit her like that!"

"You were stressing me out!"

"Shut up! You were the one who hit her! This was all your fault!"

"Guys, stop!" Brick commanded. But by then, there was no stopping us.

"You worthless piece of crap! How could you just slap her like that?! Nobody hits my friend and gets away with it!" Jo snarled. She lept at me from her place up front.

"No! Stop!" Brick yelled, jerking on the wheel.

"No!" There was a blinding flash as the van crashed.

**Ugh, this was so hard to write! I hate this chapter. Honestly, it's just a filler chapter. The next chapter will be much more fun to write! Much, much more fun! Dude, it might've ben better if only I wasn't feeling so cruddy. Just...ugh! It's been a rough week, and a so called "friend" isn't making things better. I just...ugh! Sorry, sorry. R&R!**


	10. Chapter 10: You won't want to wake up

**I've been wanting to reply to the reviews in the story for a while now. I guess I didn't get that many reviews, but the reviewers I do have deserve some thanks!**

**ForteKham617: Thank you! But the way Mike visits the cast and just remembers stuff makes me feel like a broken record. And I really wanted to include Dakota and Sam a bit more seeing as they're such great characters!**

**Northrnstar: I'm really glad you enjoyed it! I can always count on you to have something good to say!**

**Braveheart177: I love cliffhangers as much as the next guy, but waiting to see what happens next drives me crazy!**

Brick's POV

I realized my eyes had been squeezed shut. The moment I opened them, pain flooded into my chest. When I looked down, my eyes bugged out of my head. A large jagged piece of glass pierced my stomach, causing blood to stream silently to the floor of the van.

I was reluctant to observe the state of the others. I turned my head to find Jo slumped across the space between the front seats and the back seats. Her right arm stuck out at an odd angle, no doubt broken. Her eyes were shut. A large gash zipped across her face.

Mike on the other hand, had his eyes wide open. He looked in horror at the mess of blood and glass.

"Brick…" he breathed. "Brick, I can't feel my legs…I…can't feel them…!"

"H-Hang in there, cadet," I managed to say.

Zoey was in the worst condition. Her chest was covered in blood. Pieces of glass and metal lay on top of her. Her arms were covered in tiny scratches. Mike tried not to look at her. I knew that if he did, he would completely break down.

"This…this is all my fault…!" he sobbed. "I…I caused this…"

"N-No…" I choked out. "I was the driver…I lost control…"

I doubted he could hear me. The world grew fuzzy. Before I completely blacked out, I saw with a pang that a lone tear shone on Jo's face.

Mike's house

Mrs. Smith sighed and checked the clock again. Her son had been gone for a while. He promised he and his friends wouldn't be gone long, but it was already past dinner time. And with the stomachs his friends had…well, Mrs. Smith found it strange they had no returned yet. Seconds turned into minutes. Minutes turned into hours. They still had not come.

Brick's house

"Honey, did Brick say where he was going?" Mrs. McArthur asked, settling into her favorite chair in the living room.

"No. But I'm sure he's out with his little friends," Lieutenant McArthur said from behind the newspaper.

"It's strange. He usually calls us if he's going to be out this late."

"Oh, he's probably out with that new girlfriend of his. Josephine, was it?"

Mrs. McArthur sat up, suddenly interested. "New girlfriend? Nonsense, he hasn't mentioned any girlfriend…"

"Oh, he has. We had a little chat about her the other day. She seems like a lovely girl by the way he talks about her. It's natural that he'd lose track of time while spending time with someone he has a high interest in."

"Still, I'd feel better if I knew where he was…" she said uncertainly.

"Don't worry; I'm sure he's fine. He can take care of himself; I saw to that when he was a kid."

Jo's house

"Hon, have you seen Jo?" Jo's mother called.

"No, I haven't seen her since breakfast," her husband replied, his eyes still glued to the football game on the TV. "Didn't she say she'd be home in time for the game?"

"I can't imagine where she could be. Maybe she's watching the game with Brick. "

"Maybe. We've got to have that boy over some time. Maybe he could play football with us. It would even up the teams."

"Oh Hon, it's always sports with you!"

Matt's POV

"Matty, can you get the phone?" Mom asked me. I sighed and grabbed the phone from the cradle.

"Talk to me," I said into the mouthpiece.

Mallory's POV

I was watching TV, wondering when Mike and Zoey would be back, when Matt screamed from the kitchen. It was the kind of scream that chills you to the bone and makes you rocket towards the source of the sound. Time froze as my feet slapped on the floor, trying to get to Matt.

Mike's POV

I must've passed out. I opened my eyes to find myself lying in a white hospital bed. Machines and monitors beeped and whizzed next to the bed. Other than that, the room was pretty much empty.

"Hello…?" I weakly called out. There was no reply.

_Where is everybody?_ I wondered. _Where am I anyways? What happened to me?_

Minutes slowly climbed by, and still no one came.

_Forget this. I'm going to check this place out myself!_

I pulled myself into a sitting position. I tried to swing my legs over the side of the bed, but nothing happened.

"Huh? Why can't I move my legs? What's going on here? What happened?" I asked aloud. When there still came no reply, my temper flared. "Is this some sort of wacked out dream?! WHY CAN'T I MOVE?!"

I grunted and pulled on the wires of the loud machines. There was an abundance of shouting as doctors flooded into the room in an attempt to calm me down. I growled as a nurse seized my arm and stuck it with a large needle. Instantly I began to feel drowsy. The doctors sighed in relief as I blacked out again…

When I next opened my eyes, I had company. A man in a white coat stood with his back to me on the other side of the room.

"Who…Who are you…?" I asked. The man turned around.

"I'm Doctor Chase. It looks like you were in one heck of an accident…" he replied somberly.

"A-Accident…?" that's when the memories of the day crashed back to me. Slapping Zoey. Yelling at Jo. Making Brick crash the van.

"Now if you'd let me conduct a little test…" he continued, picking up a little clipboard and a small needle with a chord hanging from it. "I'm going to prick your leg with this to make sure none of the nerves are damaged," he explained.

I didn't care about that. I wanted to know about Brick, Jo, and Zoey. The doctor pricked my leg with the needle. I flinched, watching a line on the screen the needle was hooked up to jump.

"Good, good…" he murmured, jotting something down on his clipboard.

"How are my friends?" I asked.

The doctor ignored me. "Wiggle you toes for me," he instructed.

"Hey, I asked you a question!" I growled. "How are they?"

"Michael, wiggle your toes!" he repeated. Impatiently, I wiggled them.

"Where are they?" I demanded once more.

"Michael!"

"WHERE ARE MY FRIENDS?!"

"I'll tell you after the tests are over, now wiggle your toes!"

"I AM!" I yelled. "A-Aren't I…?"

He cleared his throat, picking up his clipboard again.

"It's…natural for the nerve not to respond…perhaps….no….it can't be…" he muttered to himself, pacing around the room.

"Doc…how long have I been here…?" I asked.

"Three days."

"And my friends?"

"…I….two of them will be alright for certain…" he answered awkwardly.

"T-Two?!" I choked out. "What is that supposed to mean?!"

"Look kid, I didn't want to say this, but right now, you shouldn't worry so much about your friends. As of right now, it's probable that…well…."

"What? Doc…what's going to happen to me…? Please, tell me that…And what's to happen to my friends?" I asked him, tears welling up in my eyes.

"I can't say much right now…but….I….Nothing will ever be the same for you again…" he said, pausing in front of the doorway. "Zoey."

"Excuse me?" I said. "What about Zoey?"

"She….might not make it…"

Brick's POV

The next time I gained consciousness, my friends were nowhere in sight.

"Guh? J-Jo, Mike, Zoey?"

I sat up, feeling no pain. Stretching, I set both feet on the glossy hospital floor. I wondered how long I'd been there. And what about the others? Were they as lucky as me, and didn't feel any pain?

"For a hospital, this place is pretty desolate," I commented.

"Amen, brother," said a voice.

"Huh?" I spotted another bed across the room. In it laid a guy with dark hair. Instead of the traditional hospital attire, he wore a black t-shirt and grey jeans. Little cuts covered his face.

"The name's Jacob" he grinned. (**A/N There ya go Jake! I TOLD you I would give you a shout out!)**

"I'm Brick," I answered, standing up from the bed.

"So what're you in for?"

"Car crash," I said simply.

"Ah, got it." He replied. He pointed to his face. "Motorcycle accident."

"Motorcycle? You ride those things? You must be crazy!" I commented.

He grinned again. "Of course I'm crazy! But that won't make anyone else more sane! The way I see it; it's better to act yourself. That way, no one can tell you what to do. No one can change you into someone you're not," he explained, staring at the ceiling.

I smiled. Jo would like that. Maybe the reason I loved her so much…was because she was one of a kind. She was Jo. All she wanted to do was be herself. She's not afraid to stand up and be who she wants to be. Compared to her, everyone who let's what people think shape them, are cowards. And if there's something I don't, it's a coward. My friends, they weren't cowards. But what about me?

Years ago, I was nothing but a wimp. I'd always looked up to my father, but it was clear that in his eyes, I'd never be good enough. As a kid, my mother was my playmate. She was probably my best friend growing up. But hanging around her made me soft. People saw me as a momma's boy. My mother had always accepted any mistakes I made, so imagine how surprised I was to find others judging me for them. My dad was never around when I was a kid, always overseas and training for combat. But when he did return home, I tried my best to act tough. Every kid wants their parents to be proud of them, so I let my dad shape me into a muscle machine. While he was away, I disciplined myself to train hard for him. My shelves full of toys and pictures of family were replaced with athletic trophies and military gear. Every day I would work hard, just trying to make myself into a boy to be proud of. Deep in my heart, I wanted to stop my dad's disappointment in me change who I was, but I ignored it. I told myself that what I was doing was the right thing, but I never believed it.

"Jacob…what do your parents think of you?" I asked.

"My parents? Well, no matter what, I know they'll love me. Like right now. Sure, my mom will be pretty ticked that I crashed, but I know she still loves me. But Brick, that's what family is! My parents will always be there for me! The same goes for my siblings and my friends! True friends will stick by you through thick and thin! And that's why I can be myself. Because I know I have people who have my back," he answered, smiling to himself.

People who have your back, eh? I finally had those kinds of people in my life. But…would they be able to make it? In a few days' time…would I still have people who have my back?

**Well there ya have it! Chapter ten has come and gone! Reviews are much appreciated and are important to this author's confidence! **


	11. Chapter 11: Life and Death

***Waves***

**Heyyyyyy. I have something to report…I know these reviews have been completely random, but I've resolved to update every Friday! Now, onto the reviews!**

**Northrnstar: That means a lot to me! Yeah, it was even intense to **_**write**_** it, and I even knew what was going to happen! **

**Guest: :D sorry! I just couldn't keep going!**

**ForteKham617: Wow…I-I don't know what to say except….well….thank you! I honestly didn't know it was that good! And to answer the question about replying to the reviews…YUP! XD**

**And here's the story!**

**Mike's POV**

"Brick, I don't even know how to tell you how sorry I am!" I wailed. It was visiting hour, and Brick had dutifully come to my side.

"Cadet, it's fine! I don't blame you for any of this…" Brick said. But of course he would say that…

"You should! Had I not gotten Jo so mad…Had our argument not distracted you…Had I not been _born_…" I trailed off. Quickly, Brick grabbed my shoulders.

"Don't ever say that! Look, you might not agree, but life without you in it wouldn't be the same! Mike, you're pretty much my best friend! Plus, Zoey would be completely hopeless without you!" he joked, a huge grin sliding across his face. Despite my efforts to keep a straight face, a smile of my own appeared on my face. It had been a while since I had smiled. Lately, my face held a worried look. Seeing Brick healthy lifted some of the unbearable weight off of my shoulders.

And yet, I was still worried. Would this stop me from graduating? And the others…would they be able to graduate? Would Zoey even _live_ to see her own graduation…?

I hated the questions about Zoey. To think about her feeble condition was just…I couldn't… If she died…it would be all my fault…That's why I promised myself that I would go to see her no matter what. If she were to die…I'd be by her side through it.

"So how are your legs?" Brick asked with a concerned expression, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Not great…the doctor says they might be damaged beyond repair…Luckily, I might have the option of a leg transplant if they don't heal soon. He says a nerve might have been broken, and that's why nothing can be fully determined at this point," I informed him with a grim face.

"Well I wish you the best, soldier…."

"So…do you know about Jo's condition? I haven't heard much about her," I mentioned.

"I heard she's doing fine. I don't think she's able to walk around yet, but my doctor reported that she's only got a few broken bones," Brick said easily. I sighed in relief. Having Jo die mad at me would never be good for my conscience.

So I guess it was Zoey we had to worry about…The odds of her coming off as easy as Brick were slim. _Very_ slim. This knowledge gave me nightmares, scaring me to the point where I stopped asking about her condition. I knew the doctors were doing their best, but I feared that I'd never see her smile again.

"Brick…" I started. I was afraid to ask the question, but I pressed on. "Do you….do you think Zoey loves me…?"

His eyes boggled out of his head. "What kind of question is that?! Of course she does! Anyone with eyes can see it!"

I nodded thoughtfully. "Well…now, do you think she's…happy…?"

"Huh?"

"Well, with everything that's happened…with all the tragedies in her life, do you think she'd be happy to keep living? I mean…her family is gone…so what's there to smile about?"

He shook his head, a small smile plastered on his face. "Mike, Mike, Mike….You stupid little….I can't believe it…. "

"What?"

"You don't get it, do you? She's got YOU!"

"…"

"Haven't you noticed that whenever you walk into the room, she perks up? At the sound of your name, her face brightens! If anything good has ever happened to her, it was you! Just standing there will make her happy!"

"For real?"

"For real," Brick nodded.

I was thunderstruck. Just at a loss for words. I groped for something to say that matched the brilliance of what he just said…but all I could do was sit there with my mouth hanging open. A thousand feelings were streaming in my mind, and in my heart. Mostly, it was like rush hour in my mind. Memories of us just spending time flashed through my head. The time we wrote on balloons. The times we kissed. The birthday party. Laughing with Brick and Jo. The time we sat on the bench in the park, just talking. Ordinary activities had always become magical for us. I yearned to go back to the day we sat together, not saying a word because we didn't have to. We were one. A thousand words had passed between us on that day, but had we realized it? Maybe somewhere in the back of our minds. At the back of our minds, we knew what had just happened between us, but we chose to leave it there. We left it there for the day we were old enough to appreciate it. Simple moments together had always meant to be much more. Every single word to each other was a small part of something big. The building of our relationship. Every interaction we had contributed to this moment in time.

Next to me, as these thoughts zipped through my head, Brick sat. And forever I'd remember that he was beside me through one of the most eye opening experiences of my life. Brick was the best friend I could wish for. But how was it that it took such an experience like this for me to realize it? It was times like these that made me wonder how blind I had been.

"And as for family," Brick suddenly said. "She's got us for that!"

**Days later (Brick's POV)**

It felt like an entire lifetime until I was able to see Jo again. In hind sight, you never really realize how long you've been waiting until the day comes. And boy, did it come…

The first chance I could, my feet pounded across the shiny floors to her hospital room. Breathing heavily with my arms and legs pumping away the distance of the building, I barely felt the ecstatic grin the slid onto my face. All in all, I was as happy as a kid on Christmas. In fact, I felt years younger as I rocketed to her room. I finally slammed to a stop outside of her room, taking a moment to catch my breath.

At my entry, her head turned to me. A grateful smirk spread across her weak face.

"Brickhouse…" she whispered. I felt shocked at how her usually powerful body shrunk under the covers of her bed. She looked…so frail. This wasn't the Jo I knew. In fact, if it weren't for her signature smirk, I wouldn't have recognized her at all.

"J-Jo…is it…really you…?" I asked softly. She nodded. Perching myself on the edge of her bed, I let out a sharp whoosh of breath. Without even thinking, I caressed her soft cheek. To my complete surprise, she didn't protest or offer a harsh retort like she usually would. All she did was close her eyes and allow me to sit there and continue to pour my heart into such a heartfelt action.

She was very quiet as I filled her in on the others. Not much like herself, I saw her eyes grow deep with concern as I told her about Zoey's feeble chance at surviving. Jo's behavior was unnerving, but I was just glad I was able to sit next to her for a while. A pang of hurt flowed through me as I understood how terrible it had to be for Mike, not being able to be by Zoey.

Too soon, it was time for me to go.

"See you later Jo," I said, kissing the top of her head. "You're the light of my life…"

"B-Brick…" she said hoarsely.

"Yes…?"

"Sh-shut….the h-heck…up…" she managed to spit out. There was a moment of pure silence until my laughter pierced the air. Leave it to Jo to give me the kindest words in the English language!

**Mike's POV**

It wasn't until a week after Brick's first visit that trouble started brewing. It was a pretty normal evening until the doctor burst in, telling me that Zoey's condition was becoming severe, with the probability of losing her skyrocketing.

Brick burst in after him.

"She's not looking too good, guys!" he exclaimed, a few beads of sweat dotting his face.

"I-I've got to see her!" I yelled, immediately sitting up in the bed.

"You can't walk!" the doctor reminded me.

"Then get me a wheelchair or something!" I ordered. "Anything! Just…please! I have to see her!"

They both nodded, scrambling to go find a wheelchair. Seconds felt like hours. And as the seconds multiplied, I grew impatient. I knew that time was running out.

I willed myself to move to a position to tumble off the bed. Quickly, I rolled onto the floor, wincing at the harsh impact of falling onto it's hard surface.

_I'll never make it like this!_ I thought. I knew what had to be done. Forcefully and painfully, I willed my legs to move. Slowly yet surely, I pulled myself onto my feet. I had just zombie my way to the door when I noticed Brick and the doctor tearing down the hall with a wheelchair, their eyes wide in wonder.

"H-How did…." They sputtered.

"Save it! We don't have much time!" I reminded them. I was glad they didn't bother to reply as they helped me into the chair. We sped down the halls at breakneck speed, ignoring the strange looks we got from others. Eventually, we arrived at her room. A machine next to her bed was beeping away like crazy.

"Zoey!" I hollered, pushing my way next to her bed. "No! This can't be happening! It just can't! Z-Zoey! You're the only ray of sunshine I've had in years! If I lose you…Nothing will ever be the same!"

"M-Mike! I think she hears you!" Brick shouted. It was true. The beeping had slowed down as I spoke. "Keep talking!"

"Zoey….I never told you this, but I love you! I love you, okay? You've got to fight it! Please don't leave me! Whatever you want, I'll make sure you get it! If you ask for the world, I'll get it to you! Just…stay with me…" I pleaded miserably. To my surprise, the beeping returned to its normal speed. I noticed that I had been holding my breath in and let it out in a long sigh.

Her eyes fluttered open halfway. My eyes almost popped out of my head.

"M-Mike…?"


	12. Chapter 12: uhyeah

**ForteKham617(guest and regular review): Wow….That was the most amazing and touching review I have ever gotten! Seriously, THANK YOU! This review….it's now the GEM of my life! I'M honored that you're proud of me and my story, and knowing how much I love Family Guy's newer episodes, that was the coolest analogy ever! Just…thank you, Forte!**

**Northrnstar: Wait- I didn't remind you that there was a new chapter, did I? Oops…sorry buddy! Anyways, thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying the story and looking forward to it!**

**I just want to thank everyone who favorited, followed, and most importantly, reviewed! I'm not going to be udating next week because my dad is taking me and my brothers camping for my birthday. *cough* August 3****rd**** *cough cough cough* Also, don't be alarmed if I don't respond to your PMs for a while. I'm dealing with a whole lot right now…and, well, thank you for dealing with all of my insecurities and…yeah….Now, onto the chapter!**

Mike's POV

My mind froze. She just said my name. MY NAME! MINE! Doctors swarmed. I reached out to her, but I was swept away by the lab coats and stethoscopes. Eventually, the crowd pushed me outside of the room.

"Wait! Zoey!" I yelled, pounding on the closed hospital door. Beside me, Brick laid on the floor, trampled by doctors and nurses. I leaned over and stuck out my hand to pull him up.

"She'll be safe, I know it," Brick assured me. I nodded, not able to properly reply.

"She said my n-name," I choked out after a long silence between us. I saw Brick smile smugly from the corner of my eye. I couldn't help but smile back.

"It's like I said, Cadet," he said calmly. "She's got you. And you're the best thing she can ever have."

I nodded. "I know that to be true now." I stuck my hand out again, this time for a shake. "Thanks for being my friend…when no one else would. Even on the island, you were a true friend. Brick, you saved my life on the island. Had you not been there, Zoey, Cam, and I would be dead."

"Cadet, it's all in a day's work of a soldier!" he said, pulling his signature salute.

My chuckle at his salute soon turned into a long sigh. "I…I wonder when I can see Zoey again…"

"Well, I know one thing," Brick said. "She's going to be okay. You two…you've got a long time together…."

Eventually, Doctor Chase was able to set the nerve causing my leg troubles. Within a few weeks, I was back on my feet. But I had seen neither hide nor hair of Zoey. Brick and I were able to return to school to finish up our senior year. And as long as we brought Jo her work, she would be able to graduate with us. But what about Zoey? Sure, she was smart, but would she be able to catch up in time for grad?

Our return to school was a strange one. As soon as we hobbled past the doors of the school, people began to clap for us. Suddenly, we were just surrounded by this wall of clapping and cheering students.

"What's up with them?" I asked Brick.

"Well…I guess they…missed us!" he said in wonder. I couldn't help but stare at him with a twisted look on my face.

"They missed us…? I thought they hated me…"

Our unsecure walk quickly turned into a strut as we received high fives and cheers. Even people who usually picked on me turned down the dial. It was…pretty awesome!

Then, the day came. It was after school on a Friday afternoon when I got the call from Zoey's doctor, Doctor Evans.

"Mike, is it? Well, Zoey's awake, and she's requested to see you and your friend, Brick," the doctor informed me. For a moment, I was horrified that my ears had deceived me. But the reality that Zoey was awake and wanted to see me struck me in seconds.

"Er…Yes! I'll…I'll be there soon, thank you! Thank you so much!"

Naturally, the next call I made was to Brick. He took the news as ecstatically as I did, and we raced off to the hospital together. Once outside of her room, Brick stopped.

"You go in first, Cadet," he said, motioning me to go on.

"But-Brick! She wanted to see both of us!" I protested.

"Mike, you're her boyfriend. Go ahead. I'll see her soon."

I hesitated. "Brick…I'm….I'm scared…I can't go in there alone. What if she hates me? What if she….what if she wants nothing to do with me anymore? What if she tells me off, then dumps me?! And what am I supposed to say to her?! Brick, I need your help!"

"Mike, you'll be fine. Look at me, I don't hate you. I didn't tell you off. You were okay with visiting me. Plus, Zoey loves you. More than anything. And if I know Zoey, I can tell you that she's a forgiving person! So I want you to go in there, and make things right with her. Go ahead, it's okay!"

He was right, of course. There was no way Zoey could hate me…right…? I shook my head, gritted my teeth, took a deep breath, and walked in. At once, I saw the girl of my dreams smile.

"You came!" she whispered, her face glowing.

"Of course I came," I beamed at her. "I'll always be there for you, no matter what!"

"That's…cheesy," she smirked.

"Well, I've been hanging out with Brick and his 'words of wisdom' a lot recently," I laughed.

"Really? I never took him for a really deep guy. Maybe a jarhead…"

I smiled. It was more or less like old times. Just take away the bandages and hospital bed….yeah, she'd be like her old self.

But there was business to take care of. "Zoey…I'm sorry for causing this…" she opened her mouth to defend me, but I cut her off by holding my hand up. "Don't try to deny it. I'm the one who caused this, and I'm the one who hit you. I…I don't know what came over me. And…I almost lost you…"

"Mike…I was pretty disappointed in you when you slapped me…But I'm just glad you're okay. I don't care about the crash anymore. When I get better, we'll get your memories back no matter what!"

"What?!" I exclaimed. "Zoey! What are you talking about?! There's no way we're collecting the rest of my memories!"

"Huh? But you need them, Mike!"

"Zoey…if getting my memories back means hurting you…then maybe I don't want them! What're they good for, anyways? All I need is you."

She looked at me with sad eyes. "But what if they just keep coming back in those flashes? I hate seeing you in pain!"

"Look at you, Zoey! Do you think it's easy for me to see you all banged up in that bed?! I know you're hurting, no matter how well you hide it!"

"I love you Mike," she said, her eyes locked onto mine.

"I love you too." And meant it. All four of those words were true. Zoey was my everything. And it was clear that she cared for me as much as I cared for her.

**Okay, that was cheesy. And short, I know. I'd say we have…three chapters left. May three is pushing it… anyways, this story is going to be ending soon. So…yeah, don't forget to click that review button! See ya!**


	13. Chapter 13: Unfinished business

***Claps hands* Alright, I'm back! **

**Northrnstar: Ha ha, I'm like the queen of fluff! Seriously, almost all of my stories have some fluff! But I'm honored that you might follow it through to the end! Lol**

**ForteKham617: hmm…kid friendly….nice feels…but with adult details and jokes…sounds kinda like the original Spongebob! Nah, I'm getting a little carried away here! Oh, and thanks, I had a pretty good birthday**

**Okay, for the record, I had to redo this chapter, like, ten times! Needless to say, this is not my favorite chapter. But hey, who knows, maybe you'll like it! Don't kill me…**

Mike's POV

Eventually, Jo and Zoey were discharged from the hospital. Slowly but surely, things began to return to normal. Jo developed her lovable (yeah right) yet sarcastic attitude again. Zoey officially opened up her feelings about her dad dying. And as for me? Well, I took care of a lot of unfinished business.

Unfinished business #1.

It was before Zoey and Jo got discharged. I was just hanging out in Zoey's hospital room, talking to her and such, when she said something that caught my attention.

"Y'know, Mallory misses you at home," she said.

"Huh? What do you mean? Shouldn't she miss you?" I reasoned. "You ARE in the hospital."

Zoey had been doped up on painkillers that evening, so I really didn't take her words seriously until she said,

"She's upset. Talk to her."

That kind of struck me as weird. I learned to never bother Mallory unless I was looking to be cursed out. Truthfully, would Zoey really tell me to talk to Mallory unless Mallory herself requested it? By that time, visiting hours were over, and I was forced to return home. Return home to my sister.

_This is crazy, _I told myself. _Why would I need to talk to Mallory? And why should I take Zoey seriously? She's practically high!_

Forgetting every ounce of curiosity I had, I made my way into the house. After removing my shoes and saying hello to my mother, I climbed to stairs to my bedroom. But as I passed Mallory's door, I heard sobbing noises.

"M-Mallory? Are you okay in there?" I asked tentatively, softly knocking on her closed door.

"Go away Matt!" she growled.

"I-It's me, Mike," I corrected her. I heard footsteps and her door flew open.

"What's up?" she tried to ask casually. I noticed tear tracks on her cheeks and her hair was a mess. Plus, she was obviously upset about something, judging by the cold, hurt look in her eyes.

"I think Zoey was right. We DO need to talk. Can I come in?" I requested.

Mallory hesitated, then opened to door wider so I could enter. Awkwardly, I sat myself on the edge of her blue bedspread.

"Mallory, what's up with you?" I asked as she bounced onto the bed next to me.

"You…You're never around anymore," she responded sadly. "You're always off with Brick and your other friends all the time…And whenever I want to hang out with you, you're at the hospital."

"Okay, what if I set aside one day of the week when I stay at home with you? Does that sound good?"

She sighed. "No. Because…what will happen when you graduate from high school? You're going to college soon…And then I'll never see you…"

"Mallory…"

"I thought…I thought you were going to die in that car crash…."

"You don't have to worry about me," I told her firmly. "Sure, I'm going off to college soon…but…I'll come visit you, whenever you like. If you ever need me, I'll be there for you, no matter what."

She sniffled a bit. "Promise?"

"Promise," I assured her. "And I'll tell you what. The next time I hang out with Brick, Zoey, and Jo, you can come along if you want. It…It was never my intension to hurt you."

Beside me, I heard her laugh. "I just…I miss the times when we would play outside…and watch TV together…just act like kids, you know?"

"Ha, yeah. I get what you're saying. But…we can still do that stuff! Hey…did I ever show you Death Note? Oh man, you HAVE to see Death Note!" Okay, so maybe I was going a little crazy. The fact is, I was a huge Death Note fan. The whole concept was really clever. And L? He was a genius!

"Uh, Mike? Thanks, but no thanks," she giggled. I ruffled her hair and stood up to leave.

"Whatever," I said over my shoulder as I walked out. "And thanks…for the chat…."

Unfinished business #2.

True to my word, I let Mallory tag along when Zoey, Brick, Jo, and I went to the park to celebrate our graduation. At that point, graduation was only 2 short weeks away. Zoey was pretty impressed that I actually talked to my sister.

But there was something I had to do before I could be truly happy.

I faced Jo, saying these words with complete sincerity.

"I'm sorry for everything I put you through. Honestly, I feel like I acted pretty childish, you know, yelling at you and all. I just…I lost it. I was feeling pretty lousy for dragging you all out there to only remember a few seconds. And no matter what anyone says, I was the one who caused this mess. I put you in danger, and I'll never forgive myself for that. But I was hoping…that you would forgive me."

For a second, I feared that she would reject the hand I extended to her for a handshake. But she took my hand, and pulled me into one of the most awkward bro-hugs I've had in my entire life.

"Dude, you're still on that?" she asked. "When do you let stuff go?"

"Wait-so you're just gonna forgive me? Just like that?"

"Sure. That's what you wanted, right? Besides…I don't care about that fight anymore, ya nerd. I admit….I was…worried….about you guys." She said worried like one would say "manure" or "garbage".

I smirked at her. "What? The almighty Jo was WORRIED about us? Why, I'm honored!" I turned to look at the others with a pretend look of shock on my face. "Can it be? Jo was WORRIED about us! That makes me so happy! I…I could cry!"

Jo growled at my poor acting and pulled Brick over to the swings.

"Oh geez, could you wish for something better than THAT?!" I chuckled, grinning at Zoey. Shaking her head at my gag acting, she chose to sit on a lone bench where the tall trees cast a refreshing shade overhead. I joined her shortly, pulling out my half of the necklace.

"Seems like a whole lifetime ago, doesn't it?" I commented. "Since the island? Since the torture? Since we visited Lightning's mansion?"

"Crap, we never gave him his birthday present, did we?" she laughed.

**At Lightning's mansion**

"Sha-wait! Lightning's not going to get his birthday present, is he?!" Lightning realized. "Nah, they'll come back and sha-give it to me any day now!"

Lightning sat with a derpy face as he waited for his present.

**Back at the park…**

I smiled, but I made no effort to acknowledge the joke any futher.

"I want you to have this," I said, thrusting the necklace into her hands.

"What? Mike…" she started. I cut her off.

"Both halves were meant to go to you in the first place!" I insisted. "And…I guess fate decided for me to hold on to a part of you for…a little longer…"

Zoey smirked at my comment. "Fate? You believe in that stuff?"

"Well…with our story…You kinda have to believe in fate!" I joked. "I mean, what are the odds that you would eventually help me reclaim my memories after rejecting me?"

"You're right," Zoey agreed. "Two years ago, I didn't think I'd see myself here, with you."

"Oi! Lovebirds!" Jo called from halfway across the park. Mallory and Brick smiled mischievously at us. "Are we going to hang out or what?"

We both laughed at Jo's attempt to embarrass us and joined the three.

"Hey, it's really hot out here, why don't we get snow cones or something?" Brick suggested. Five minutes later, we all held snow cones in our hands.

"Great idea, Brickhouse!" Jo said, munching on her frozen treat.

"Yeah…" I said moodily.

"Something wrong, kid?" Jo asked, looking at my upset face.

"You know…" I said, watching my snow cone melt a little as the hot sun beat down on it. "…I'm sad…"

"How come? Did I get you the wrong flavor or something?" Brick asked.

"No…it's just that…I don't want to graduate…" I said, not looking at anyone. "Mallory…what you said was true. Things are gonna change when we graduate. I don't want the time we've spent to go away. And I don't want to grow up so fast! Because…when we go to college, I know we're going to drift apart from each other."

It had all been our minds, there was no doubt about that.

"Then let's make a pact," Brick said. "Let's make a pact to never forget one another. As long as we're in our hearts, we'll never be too far from each other. And we'll never stop being friends."

"You get that off of a fortune cookie?" Jo asked skeptically.

Silently, five snow cones filled the air.

"Hey, I just got an idea," I suddenly said.

"What is it?" Zoey asked. I whispered my plan into her ear.

"You know…we owe it to him," I added.

"Okay, what are you guys talking about?!" Jo demanded.

"Well, you guys think we can handle one last rumble together?"

"That really doesn't answer my question…"

"_Just get in the car!"_

**Hours later**

"I hate you Mike, I freaking hate you," Jo grumbled as she hopped out of Brick's van.

"I think it's a pretty sweet idea," Mallory shrugged.

"Thanks, sis. See Jo, my sister agrees with this idea!" I teased her, sticking my tongue out at her.

"Just ring the doorbell so we can get out of here…"

I followed her orders and rung. A few seconds later, an African American teenager answered the door. He had grown quite a bit in two years. He had grown taller and his shoulders had broadened.

"Who are you?" he asked when he caught sight of five strangers standing on his front porch.

"It's great to see you, Cam," I greeted him. "Do you remember me? It's Mike."

Cameron's face morphed into one of a person with complete happiness.

"Mike! A-And Zoey! And Brick and Jo! And…some girl I've never seen before!" he cried.

"I'm Mallory, Mike's sister."

"Well…great to see you! All of you!" Cameron exclaimed.

"We were wondering if you wanted to hang out with us," I suggested. I saw Cameron smile at the thought of spending time with his first friends.

"Yeah."

That was unfinished business #3.


	14. Chapter 14: Graduation

**Ha, I'm such a loser! So, I'm sitting on my bed this morning, reading Full Metal Alchemist, when I realize….It's Friday! Seriously, I just remembered that I have to update on Fridays! Pft, I'm a mess… **

**Now, I realize that the Prom is a part of Senior year, but sadly I will not be adding a chapter with the Prom. I mean, it'll be quite some time until I get to go to my own Prom, so I have no idea how to describe that sort of scene. However, this chapter is their graduation, as you can tell from the title. I've been to a couple of graduations, so….yeah….**

**ForteKham617: Yeah, that chapter was definitely a fluffy, friendship is wonderful type chapter. Heh, that scene with Lightning was fun to write, I have to admit! Thank you for reading!**

**Northrnstar: Thank you for the happy birthday! Yeah, Mallory kind of reminds me of myself in a way. Oh, and the next chapter is the last chapter.**

**FatAmyIsAWESOMERebelWilson11: Oh, I guess I erased my Youtube name from my profile…It's Mustaches4lif3, but I haven't posted any good videos yet. Just fan AMVs for TDRI.**

**Thank you all for reviewing and favoriting! You guys all rock!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TDRI, its characters, or the song, "One Moment In Time," by Whitney Houston.**

Zoey's POV

I was so nervous on my graduation day. My parents didn't live long enough to see me graduate, as you know already, but would anyone cheer for me? Except for Mike, Jo, and Brick, I didn't have any friends. And if their anxiety was as bad as mine, would they be able to clap for me? What if the Principle handed me my diploma, and there was dead silence?!

Mike's POV

Graduation felt like the end of something I'd miss for my entire life. Like the period of the end of a sentence. I'd spent twelve years of my life in school. And that's if you don't count Kindergarten and Pre-school! This was it. All of the days spent in class, wishing for class to end, wishing to be anywhere…but class, had led up to this day.

Brick's POV

I had always wondered how it felt to be the guy getting his diploma. And the day before graduation, I finally found out. It felt sad. The second after you get the diploma, you're on your own. No more parents. No more guidance. Your job from then on is to take what you've learned during your 18 years and take your life from there. The rest of your life is in your own hands. And from experience, I knew that it doesn't take much to end that life.

Jo's POV

The worst part of graduating is waiting for it. I couldn't wait to graduate. I was done listening to others. From birth, I've known where my life was going. All of these years, my dad has been polishing me for one thing. A chance at the gold. That's right…Some people don't make it…but I knew where the rest of my life was leading. I was going to train for the Olympics. An opportunity to bring home the gold for Canada had been my goal my whole 18 years. My dad pushed me to give 100%. So you know what? Screw everyone else, I'm going to give that 100%!

Zoey's POV

Graduation took place in a massive gymnasium in South Toronto. Our school gym wasn't big enough to host a graduation, I guess. I remember arriving at the building in my white cap and gown with Mike. Our school colors were purple and white (Go hornets!). So, the boys wore purple, and the girls wore white.

"Now, Mike, remember to smile!" Mike's mother reminded him. "Your Grandparents will be here, and I'm sure they'd want a picture of you."

"Yeah, show off that adorable gap," I teased him.

"Yeah? Well make sure you don't hesitate to show of your pearly whites," he smirked. "The world loves a pretty girl."

"Guys, that's disgusting, cut it out!" Jo groaned behind us.

"Oh, did you hear that, Honey Bunny, Jo doesn't like it when we show affection," I said.

"Well, that's a shame, Lovey Dovey," Zoey added, catching on to the joke.

"Shut it!" Jo growled.

We were then sorted into two lines according to our names. Since my last name was Greenwald, I was somewhat at the beginning of the first line. To my dismay, Mike was sorted into the second line since his last name was Smith.

"See you on the other side, Zo," he said quickly, pecking me on the cheek.

"If I even make it through," I groaned.

"Hey, don't worry, Brick will be behind you. If at any time, you feel nervous, you can just look at him for reassurance," Mike told me. I didn't have it in me to answer him, and I could only nod. Soon, it was time to walk into the gym.

Mike's POV

The gym echoed with cheers as the graduates walked in. Behind the clapping and whooping was the sound of piano chords.

_Each day I live,_

_I want to be,_

_A day to give,_

_The best of me._

_I'm only one,_

_But not alone._

_My finest day,_

_Is yet unknown._

Shakily, I trained my eyes on the cluster of foldable chairs ahead. In front of the chairs was a large podium where the Principle stood with a welcoming smile on his face. How many times had I sat in front of that man, explaining that my personalities had made me get into trouble?

Brick's POV

The song playing when we walked into the gym was beautiful. So beautiful, it was almost cruel.

_I broke my heart,_

_Fought every gain,_

_To taste the sweet,_

_I faced the pain._

_I rise and fall,_

_Yet through it all,_

_This much remains._

_I want one moment in time._

_When I'm more than I thought I could be._

_When all of my dreams,_

_Are a heartbeat away,_

_And the answers are all up to me._

Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw one person in the crowd crying. Suddenly, I heard my family calling my name. We were told not to wave or look for our family while walking to our seats, but I stole a quick look. My family, Mike's family, Jo's family; they were all there! I smiled to myself and kept walking.

Jo's POV

I groaned at the song choice. It was almost if they were trying to make me feel sad.

_Give me one moment in time,_

_When I'm racing with destiny._

_Then in that one moment of time,_

_I will feel…._

_I will feel eternity._

_I've lived be,_

_The very best._

_I want it all,_

_No time for less._

_I've laid the plans,_

_Now lay the chance,_

_Here in my hands._

Wow, those few lyrics sounded a bit like…me…

Zoey's POV

No, no, no! Really?! They just had to play "One Moment In Time," didn't they?!

_Give me one moment in time,_

_When I'm more than I thought I could be_

_When all of my dreams are a heartbeat away_

_And the answers are all up to me_

_Give me one moment in time_

_When I'm racing with destiny_

_Then in that one moment of time_

_I will feel…_

_I will feel eternity_

_You're a winner _

_For a lifetime_

_If you seize that one moment in time_

_Make it shine!_

I finally found my chair and sat down. This was truly happening, wasn't it?

_Give me one moment in time_

_When I'm more than I thought I could be_

_When all of my dreams are a heartbeat away_

_And the answers are all up to me_

_Give me one moment in time_

_When I'm racing with destiny_

_Then in that one moment of time_

_I will be…_

_I will be…_

_I will be free!_

_I will…_

_I will be free!_

All of the graduates were seated. It was time for the speeches, then…*gulp* the diplomas.

Mike's POV

I saw Zoey shaking. No joke, it was like she was sitting on a _vibrator_. I could tell that Brick and Jo noticed too, because they kept shooting worried glances at me. I felt so bad for her. It was clear the poor girl was terrified. But what could I do? Suddenly, I felt like she was a million miles away from me. All I could do was wait.

Brick's POV

Zoey looked so scared even from behind. And Mike looked scared _for_ her. That's when it hit me; Mike was a great guy. Would a bad guy be sitting there with his brown eyes full of worry and concern, looking like he would spring up from his seat at any moment and calm her down?! NO! Would a bad guy put others before himself? No! Would a bad guy blame himself for something that was beyond his control? No!

It was at that moment that I realized that Mike was a good guy to have on your side. Let's face it, he was smart, funny, and so caring. So why did so many people bully him? Why did he have so much grief?

It was go-time. This was for you, Mike. As the principle jabbered on, I let out the loudest cough in my life. It was so loud, several kids turned to look at me, including Zoey. As soon as we locked eyes, I gave her a look that said, "calm yourself."

She closed her eyes and turned away. After that, she was as solid as a rock.

Zoey's POV

Even Brick saw I was being weak! What was wrong with me?! Why couldn't I just calm down?

I made sure I didn't shake all through the speeches. Words like "the end," and "education," kept getting tossed around like a salad. And all the while, I could only think, _Where is my life going? What am I going to do for the rest of my life?_

All too quickly, the handing out of diplomas had arrived. Again, I was in full-panic. Who would cheer for me? Did I really expect Mike's family to cheer for me? No. Why would they? All I was to them was a house guest. A charity case. Who'd cheer and applaud for a pitiful orphan? Technically, that's all I was.

Suddenly, I was on my feet, making my way to the podium behind a girl named Sophie Glindon. Before I was called, I looked back at Brick, who nodded at me. Then, I cast a look at Mike, who also nodded. I took a deep breath, and waited to be called.

_Greenwald, Zoey._

I braced myself for stone-cold silence, but thunderous applause surprised me. There was Mike's family, on their feet, whooping like there was no tomorrow. Brick's family. Jo's family. They all clapped. And, how did he get there, Cam stood in the crowd of parents, tears streaming down his face.

I couldn't help it. I smiled. It was as if…the thing I had been searching for my entire life had come to me. That's it. The thing I'd wanted since birth was acceptance. It's all I'd ever wanted. And thanks to Mike, Brick, Jo, and Cam, I had it. I was home.

Brick's POV

Zoey's smile was contagious. As I clapped for her, I looked at Mike, who looked like he was in heaven. His eyes sparkled as she flashed that winning smile at everyone. Even Jo, who was cold to everyone but me, was happy for her.

Jo's POV

I have to admit, Zoey looked pretty happy with herself. It kind of made me feel guilty. I mean, she looked like she was having _fun_ up there. As she walked off stage, I found that I was zipping past these precious moments while she savored them. If you think about it, that's the way you should live. Live like you could die at any second.

Brick's POV

Soon enough, it was my turn.

_McArthur, Brick._

Lights, camera, action. Cheers and whistles exploded around me. My family, ROTC friends, and look, how did Cameron get here? I felt great. No wonder Zoey looked so proud, so happy. It felt great to have the spotlight. That one moment where everyone looks at you and says, "Look what it's taken them to get to this point."

And, I guess that's why they played that Whitney Houston song.

Jo's POV

For the first time in my life, I didn't waste my time waiting for my turn to come. I savored the seconds. I let my turn come to me. And I was having fun. Every minute got better. I got to study each face, and watch as that face grew from nervous to proud. This was great! If this was what graduation was meant to be, then I was meeting all of the requirements.

This was our prize. All of that time spent in the classroom was for this. The chance at recognition for hard work. I guess the people who dropped out would have to miss this great feeling. Sucks to be them.

_Powers, Jo._

And it was suddenly clear why everyone up here looked so exhilarant. The way everyone yelled and hollered was breathtaking. And you better believe I was savoring the heck out of it!

Mike's POV

Even Jo was grinning away like a madman as she strutted back to her seat. My friends were all officially adults. Only I was left. I need some courage. I glanced hopelessly at Zoey, and then all courage was restored.

_Smith, Mike._

I flashed my gap-toothed grin at the crowd. Everyone I loved was on their feet, their hands crashing together like mad. Cameras went off. Tears were shed. I've never seen so many tears on my mom's face. What the…was that Cam?! When did he get here?

And then it was over. The next thirty minutes passed like crazy. The last of the diplomas were handed out. Last minute speeches were heard. Caps were thrown into the air. Soon, we were out of that gym.

As I weaved through the happy families, I heard my name being called. Ah, there they were. Jo, Zoey, Brick, our parents and siblings.

"Pictures!" the parents demanded. Pictures alone, pictures with all of us, pictures with our partners.

When all of the hugging and handshaking had washed away, Brick, Zoey, Jo, and I were together.

"So, we've officially graduated," Brick commented.

"Yep, it's all downhill from here," I chirped. We all shared a laugh.

"You know, we all helped each other get here," Zoey said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, you guys have actually taught me things," Jo agreed.

"If it weren't for you guys, I don't think I'd be here right now," Brick said.

"Ha, where would I be if I didn't have you guys?" I grinned. "You guys are my best friends."

"Hey, what about me?" A voice asked. Cameron appeared at my side.

"Heh heh, yeah, we can't forget about you either, Cam!" I chuckled, pulling everyone into a group hug.

"Geez, how old ARE you, Mike?!" Jo complained, stepping away from the hug.

I just shrugged and slung Zoey over my shoulder. She could only laugh as I marched back to the car.

"Alright, it's time to go home," I smirked. "Jo, Brick, I trust you'll be following us home to eat all of the food in the house?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, cadet!" Brick said, pointing at us.

**Wow. The words I used the most in this chapter were "moment," "cheer," "looked," "happy," and "were." Ugh, don't I feel like a broken record?!**


End file.
